The following is a guest post from a dear bloggy friend, Marianne Thomas. She is actually the original blogger behind The CVS $5 Challenge, who so graciously passed the baton on to me last summer. I think you will enjoy her crafty post!
It’s Spring Break here in my neck of the woods, meaning all three of my children (ages 7, 5, and 3) are home with me all day. While I love my oldest two home for the week and enjoy watching just how close all three of them are, it’s challenging finding ways to keep everyone busy without breaking the bank.
If you’re willing to make a mess, there are some great craft projects you can try with your children. Even if you’re craft-challenged like me, you can have fun with these simple ideas.
*Messy*
Kool Aid Play Dough
I love this simple craft and so do my three children. Using this simple recipe, you can easily make batches of homemade play dough that’s colorful, non-toxic, and smells good, too!
I’ve even made this as a craft at one of my daughter’s birthday parties; the girls loved mixing glitter in it to make it sparkly. To see an example of what it looks like from start to finish, read my how-to post right here.
*Messier*
Paper Mache
If you have an empty cardboard box, old newspapers, and flour and warm water, you can create your own paper mache craft. A simple recipe for paper mache can be found here; be prepared to make a sticky mess and give yourself a few days to go from start to finish if you plan to paint this project. It takes a day or so for the paper mache to fully dry.
One of the best parts of paper mache? You can use recycled materials as your starting point. I’ve used empty two-liter pop bottles (we made one into a pig), empty yogurt smoothie bottles (made those into paper flower vases), and even balloons (we’re in the middle of this craft and hope to finish it this week). You’d be surprised at what you can make!
*Messiest*
Handprint and Footprint Painting.
This one is a doozy in the mess department; anytime you give your children license to paint the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet with paint, be prepared for a big cleanup.
But it’s just FUN and there’s so many different ideas of what you can “make” with this craft. There’s the simple beauty of a pudgy little footprint or handprint with a name and a date next to it. And if you want to get creative, you can check out this link for handprint ideas and this link for footprint ideas of pictures for different holidays and seasons you can make with those prints. Frame those pictures and you’ve got a great gift for Grandma and Grandpa!
Remember, the goal of attempting a craft project with your little one shouldn’t be a perfectly made, heirloom-quality masterpiece; the goal should be to have fun making a creative mess together while making a memory, too.
What are some of your favorite frugal family craft ideas? Share them in a comment!
You can catch up with Marianne online at her frugal living blog, The New Frugal Mom, or read about how she’s scribbling her life away at her personal blog, Writer-Mommy.
It’s been awhile since we’ve done a fun and really messy craft around here. Thanks for the ideas, Marianne!
Love these ideas. Good, old-fashioned fun! Here’s a few more: Fruit Loop cereal necklaces, shoe box dioramas, toilet paper roll binoculars, crayon shavings melted between sheets of wax paper, food coloring and folded coffee filters…
Thanks for the inspiration! Don’t forget that Free Fun Fridays is tomorrow – come share your favorite free/ nearly free craft and activity ideas for kids!
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Alyssa, thanks for the chance to guest post; it’s always my pleasure.
Now go catch a few zzz’s while someone else is holding that cute baby for a bit!!
😉