Guest Post: Simple Projects Kids Will Love

Spread the love
© Flickr User tjstaab

One great thing to have the kids do is make gifts for family members. You can find scores upon scores of ideas for simple projects that will make great presents. This way the children have something new and fun to do, and they know their work will be valued. It will not just end up in a box or stuffed under a bed somewhere, but the recipient will be so pleased that the item will be proudly displayed. Here are some ideas of kid-friendly crafts for your children to work on when it is too rainy or cold to go outside. Won’t these bring a smile to Dad’s face, warm Grandma Thatcher’s heart or let Aunt Georgia know she is loved?

It’s easy to dress up a headband. Start with a plain plastic headband – any shade. Add strips of colored duct tape in your desired pattern. They can be striped horizontally in the person’s favorite colors. You could add flowers, feathers or lace. Duct tape is available in patterns too. You can choose camouflage, leopard spots and more. Think of what unique presents your headbands will make.

This is a gift your child could use and play with. Or maybe Dad would love it as a memento for his desk? Make a mini bulldozer. Start with 2 toilet paper tubes, 2 straws and thin cardboard. Cut 4 circles from cardboard – these are your wheels – and attach to a tp tube with straws. Trim straws if necessary. Cut the other tp tube in half lengthwise. This is the shovel. Attach to main body with small cardboard arms. If you want this to be more durable, use yellow duct tape from the headband project above. It will look more like a real bulldozer.

Have the kids make a pen holder flower pot to use by the phone. Wrap pens with florist tape – be sure the kids leave the tip of the ballpoint pen open – attach tissue flowers to the tops. “Plant” these pens in a small terra cotta pot with a piece of floral foam.

Personalization makes a memorable gift. When the entire gift is made with the givee in mind, well, you can’t get more personalized than that. Make a customized mini book with stickers. Start with 3X5 or 4X6 sized cardstock. Punch holes in paper before you begin so you can make a book of the pages at the end. Use pictures, stickers, markers, glitter and such to create a book about the person. This could be a mini scrapbook or a homemade rendition of a favorite book. Once the pictures are all glued and the decorating is completely dried, you can choose to laminate these pages so they will last. Use metal rings with clasps to attach the finished pages.

There are many games you can make yourself. A homemade memory game is just one idea. Buy or cut cardstock – all the same color – in 4X6 rectangles. Print 2 copies each of family pictures or colorful magazine pictures. Attach these to the back of the cards with glue. The only trick here is to make sure every card is uniform so they all look the same when they are turned cardstock side up. These can be laminated if you’d like them to last. Place your pictures face down on a table or floor and find all your matching pictures. You and your children will have memories of making and playing this game, and toys break but memories last a lifetime.

About the Author
Margo Smith grew up in the shadows of the everlasting hills, as the Rocky Mountains have sometimes been called. She earned her B.S. from Brigham Young University. She writes and social networks in hopes of having a closer global community. She writes about various topics including online degrees, hair care and the best places to travel.

Speak Your Mind

*