Kid Drawn Notepad

Martha Stewart has a fantastic idea for Dad.  Buy a sticky-note cube and let kids draw pictures or even scribbles for the little ones.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/274269/fathers-day-gifts-and-crafts/@center/307033/spring-holidays#272680 

Water Painting

What's more fun than painting?  Water and painting.  Have the kids draw with markers or stampers onto paper towels or napkins and then give them water droppers to add water and see the colors bleed.  It's a good opportunity to see colors blend and combine and learn about primary and secondary colors too.

Father's Day Paper Cup Trophy

Easy preschool craft turns two paper cups into a trophy honoring Dad for Father's day.  Kids can decorate with foam stickers and markers to personalize a cute message.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com/2012/03/fathers-day-trophy-cup-craft-1.html

Cloud Paintings

Shaving cream is great fun for kids it's fluffy and can often smell intriguing.  One way to have kids have fun with shaving cream is to have them use it with paint brushes or just their own fingers and hands and paint clouds onto blue construction paper.

Sensory Sorting Box

One way to mix up the sensory bin experience is to provide an action to go with the experience such as sorting the contents of the bin.  Kids can sort by color, object type, size, texture, or think of their own ways to sort. 

Sensory Cards for Babies

Babies love to touch and feel (often with their mouths).  One way to help give them more objects to play with but keep them safe is to glue the objects onto card board squares or even paint chip color cards from the local paint shop.  There are so many options:

- strips of lace
- a dried out sponge
- bubble packaging
- felt
- feathers
- sticky tape
- cotton balls
- velcro - both sides
- sandpaper
- crumpled alumnim foil

Toilet Paper Roll Nature Bracelets

Toilet paper rolls always make a great upcycled craft.  For littler kids with tiny wrists cut the tube in half and have them find flowers and leaves and other objects from nature and glue on to the tube.  You can also use double sided sticky tape and have the kids stick the objects on as they go.

Twitches uses stickers and colors them with markers.

Get the instructions here:
http://twitchetts.com/2015/04/toddler-craft-toilet-paper-ro.html/

Duckling Finger Puppets

These finger puppets are as easy as it gets.  Take a bright yellow rubber dish washing glove, cut off the fingers and color on beaks and eyes.  You'll have five little duck finger puppets. 

An Invitation to Draw

Surprise the kids and set up a drawing station.  You can include lots of different paper, markers, stampers and such.  The hope is that the invitation provides lots of open-ended play and imagination so the more colorful and objects you can add the better. 

Water Balloon Baseball

I candy handmade has the most fantastic baseball/water birthday party.  One activity that would be great for the summer is water balloon batting practice.  A great way for kids to work on their swing and cool off.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://icandyhandmade.blogspot.com/2012/08/icandy-baseball-birthday-party.html#undefined

Flower Petal Cards

Scrumdilly do has a neat way to take flower petals and turn them into butterfly cards.  Looks like the trick to keeping the petals fresh looking is to flatten them dry under a book.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://scrumdillydo.blogspot.ca/2012/04/flower-petal-butterflies-part-one.html

Melted Crayon Painting

Buzz feed lists a lot of ways to use crayons and a hair dryer for a really neat effect but the one that's most different is using up all of those little crayon pieces to create something new.  Kids will have as much fun smashing up the crayons and designing them on the page as they will melting them. 

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/creative-ways-to-create-melted-crayon-art

Growing a jeweled rose uses crayon shavings as well, but instead of a hair dryer, she leaves her canvas out in the sun and answers the question what happens when crayons are left out in the sun?

Get the instructions here:
http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/08/paint-and-play-crayon-art.html

How to Build a Worm Habitat

Spell outloud has a fascinating project for how to watch and observer worms using a 2 liter plastic bottle, worms and dirt. It seems kind of gross but it's really almost meditative watching them wiggle their way through.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.spelloutloud.com/2012/04/observing-worms-with-preschoolers/

Water Balloon Painting

Mirth market fills water balloons with paint, attaches to a board and shoots darts at them for a really neat effect.  You could also throw the balloons at the board for more of a firework look.

Good for ages 10 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://mirthmarket.blogspot.com/2012/06/water-balloon-dart-painting.html?m=1

Growing a jeweled rose has the hid throw the balloons for a less controlled effect.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/05/paint-play.html 

Let's lasso the moon fills the balloons with water, rolls them in paint and then rolls them onto the paper.

Get the instructions here:
 http://letslassothemoon.com/2014/06/26/water-balloon-painting-outdoor-summer-art-activity/

Hello wonderful uses darts as well, but places her balloons in the center.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/balloon-dart-painting-with-kids

How to Create a Ziploc Bag Greenhouse

Things my husband has a fun project to turn any window into a greenhouse using plastic bags, seeds, soil and tape. Kids will love to see how and whether the different seeds grow.

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://treasuresmyhh.blogspot.com/2012/05/thms-greenhouse.html

Hummingbirded turns the greenhouse project into a super neat activity.  She has the kids wear a sock on the outside of their shoe and walk around a nature trail.  She sticks the sock in a clear plastic ziploc bag, sprays it with water, tapes it in the window and everyone gets to watch their sock grow.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.hummingbirded.com/science.html

Leaf Stepping Stones

Ted wiebe turns rhubarb leaves into stepping stones by spreading concrete on their backs. 

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://tedwiebe.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/rhubarb-leaf-stepping-stones/

Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder

Disney's family fun shares a cute way take a plastic bottle and some wooden spoons and turn it into a bird feeder.  You could also decorate the bottle with paint, stickers and tape.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/backyard-bird-feeder-672532/

Ramblings from utopia has a more rustic looking version complete with a jagged opening.  She drills her version right into the tree.   

Get the instructions here:
http://www.ramblingsfromutopia.com/2012/04/diy-earth-day-project-soda-bottle-bird.html

Milk Carton Bird House

Wooz creates a milk carton bird house using simply a coat of paint to cover the carton and markers to decorate the house. She cuts a round hole and adds a twig post for the birds to perch from.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.wooz.dk/?p=5006

Craft project ideas paints their milk carton and adds colorful button shingles to make a roof.  She then cuts a hole and adds a pipe cleaner and  pompom bird.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.craftprojectideas.com/index.php/how-to/material-of-the-month/craft-buttons-april-2014/1682-button-birdhouse

Embellished Plastic Boxes

Say yes to hoboken turns ordinary plastic boxes, spray paints the lid and glues on top a pretty handle pull. 

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://sayyestohoboken.com/2013/05/diy-mothers-day-gift-decorated-acrylic-boxes.html

Leaf Bugs

Fun stuff to do has the cutest idea for taking leaves and cherry stems, glue and other items from nature and making different bugs.  She even has a cute idea for making a mask. 

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.fun-stuff-to-do.com/easy-crafts-for-kids-10.html 

Danielle's place has a similar project using browned leaves instead of green.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/bugs.html

Rudy and the dodo paint leaves with stems to create their bugs.

Get the instructions here:
http://rudyandthedodo.com/2012/10/06/craft-express-leaf-art/

Nail Polish Painted Marble Bowl

Paper n stitch blog uses nail polish and oven bake clay to create cute marbleized bowls.  All of those nail polish colors make really great combinations and it's a great way to use that nail polish you ended up not liking all that much.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://papernstitchblog.com/2013/04/23/make-this-mini-marbled-decorative-bowls-for-mothers-day/

Hello wonderful uses already made plastic bowls.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.hellowonderful.co/post/diy-kid-made-marble-painted-bowls

Flower Bracelets

Sweet roots has a really simple idea to get kids interacting and taking a closer look with nature.  She puts tape bracelets on their wrists and lets them choose the leaves, flowers, and other elements they want to stick to their bracelets.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://sweetroots.blogspot.com/2012/08/tape-equals-easy-wilderness-fun-for.html

Panda hall uses organza ribbon to make a flower and then tacks it onto jewelry wire to make a bracelet.

Get the instructions here:
http://lc.pandahall.com/articles/2442-how-to-make-wire-wrapped-flower-wristband-bracelets-at-home.html

Tissue Paper Colored Scarf

Rachel rabbit uses cutout shapes of colorful tissue to make a very pretty scarf. 

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instruction here:
http://rachaelrabbit.blogspot.com/2013/05/easy-silk-scarf-dying-with-tissue-paper.html

T Shirt Bracelets

This mama makes stuff has a bracelet making craft involving a t-shirt cut into strips and a simple bead. The t-shirt when cut in strips and pulled will naturally curl in upon itself making a loop perfect for a bracelet.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://thismamamakesstuff.com/2012/02/making-stuff-valentines-bracelets-recycled-t-shirt-kids-craft/

Crafts by amanda makes a braided version.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftsbyamanda.com/2012/10/make-bracelets-from-recycled-t-shirts.html

Car Track T-Shirt

The blue basket turns a t-shirt into an activity by tracking a car track onto a white t-shirt using fabric markers.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://thebluebasket.blogspot.jp/2011/09/tutorial-car-shirt.html

Photo Binder Clips

Plaid kids crafts has a cute idea to make a functional gift for Dad using mini photos and binder clips and glue.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.plaidkidscrafts.com/2012/05/21/MondayFunday3EasyGiftIdeasForDads.aspx

Beaded Glass Jar

Beccas craftroom blog glues glass marbles onto jars to make pretty colorful containers.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://beccascraftroom.blogspot.jp/2012/08/momdaughter-craft-day.html

Pipe Cleaner Flower

Pipe cleaners make easy flowers.  My mommy made it has a great tutorial. 

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://mymommiemadeit.blogspot.com/2011/02/pipe-cleaner-flowers.html

Craft project ideas places her version in a decorated pot and gives each a button center.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.craftprojectideas.com/index.php/how-to/material-of-the-month/craft-buttons-april-2014/1688-button-flowers

Upcycled CD Coasters

Crafts by amanda re-purposes old CDs by decorating with pretty scrapbooking paper to make fun and colorful drink coasters. 

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://craftsbyamanda.com/2012/10/recycle-craft-cd-coasters.html

Tin Can Planter

We made that paints an empty tin can, adds soil and a strawberry plant to make a great hanging fruit planter.  This is especially great if you have critters eating the strawberries in the ground.

Good for ages 8 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://wemadethat.blogspot.com/2013/04/diy-strawberry-planter.html

The local honey uses scrapbooking paper and glue to accessorize her tin cans.  She also uses cans of different sizes like a tuna can.

Get the instructions here:
http://thelocalhoney.com/2010/06/05/tin-can-planters-modge-podge-fun/

 

 Project hope art makes robots using magnets for a fun interactive version she dubs Mr. Potato Head planters.

Get the instructions here:

http://projecthopeart.org/robot-tin-can-planters/

Nantucket bucket wraps her version in multicolored yarn.  

Get the instructions here:

http://www.nantucket-bucket.com/bucket-of-fun-2/

Upcycled Egg Carton Wind Chimes

Buttons by lou lou turns an egg carton into a wind chime using pipe cleaners and bells and hanging them all on a hanger.

Good for ages 6 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://buttonsbyloulou.blogspot.com/2009/05/childrens-craft-egg-carton-wind-chimes.html

 

Dalle un colinho makes a stack of egg cartons tying knots in between each one to create a sound.

Get the instructions here: (in Spanish)

http://dalleuncolinho.blogspot.com/2010/05/musica-en-el-jardin.html

Newspaper RIngs

Nv craft envy takes a strip of newspaper and turns it into a unique ring using paint. 

Good for ages 9 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://nv-craftenvy.blogspot.jp/2010/02/newspaper-ring-very-cool.html