Living in a time where so many screens compete for our attention, it has never been more important to log off and work with your hands at any age. Check out our kid-friendly crafts roundup below!
I love summer, but sometimes it can be hard to find activities you can do with your kids when all they have is unscheduled time! I’m always in Mom mode, but when I specifically want to make a craft with Jasper, I’m looking for projects where he’ll actually be engaged and it won’t be so complicated it stresses me out. That’s why I have compiled a list of some of our best kid-friendly crafts here at Lars.
For the Youngest Crafters
When I’m looking to craft with younger kids, I want to find activities where they feel like they’re doing it all on their own. That means prepping as much as I can beforehand so their little fingers can grab whatever they want without having to say “don’t touch that!” or “wait a sec!” because getting messy is part of the fun.
Our DIY Mattise Felt Board is great for the kids that are too little to cut or paint; it’s completely interactive and looks amazing hanging up on the wall. Win-win!
We also have this Josef Albers version of our felt board, so no matter your style you and your kiddos can design beautiful, colorful felt wall hangings.
Looking for something a little more kid friendly where they can get their hands dirty? Why not try our DIY Block Printing using a potato. All you need is a few paint supplies and a couple of cut potatoes to create colorful, abstract art. In our tutorial, we use our stamp on fabric, but you could easily substitute that out with any paper you have at your disposal. If paint isn’t for you, then our clay necklace might be up your street. Using a polymer clay that can be baked, kids roll different sized balls that will later be strung on some embroidery floss. This could even work for keychains or figurines, so there is no limit to what your kids can make!
Playing Dress Up
Halloween only comes once a year, but imaginative dress-up games are fun year-round. Having a costume box can allow children to act out any fantasy that pops into their heads! One of our favorite kid-friendly crafts are these Printable Animal Masks. Choose from our panda, elephant or giraffe template (for free here) to pretend you’re on a trip to the zoo. Not into animals? These Pipe Cleaner Crowns are sure to wow even the noblest of royalty. All you need are some pipe cleaners, gems, and pom poms; with an adult’s help, kids can choose colors, accessories, and any design they’d like to twist their crowns into. This would be a great addition to any dress-up box or for when your kids have watched Frozen for the 89th time and believe they’re Princess Elsa.
For Older Crafters
Friendship bracelets are one of my favorite memories of summer camp. I’ve been seeing a lot of these showing up on my Instagram feed lately (including the “Can you start this for me” meme). Although they take a little more patience, the payoff is totally worth it! To help you along, we have a step-by-step Youtube video to help. Since you only need embroidery floss, these kid-friendly craft bracelets are completely customizable; for more advanced crafters, string beads or add a key ring to make a funky keychain.
These hair clips are not only cute but also useful. Made from clay and attached to alligator clips, this is a perfect craft for birthday parties where an activity ends up being part of the goody bag. Kids can combine different colors and shapes for their own unique clip. Hot tip: just don’t forget to roll out the clay the same length as your clips!
This next craft may be a little more advanced, but by breaking down the steps, you and your kids will be able to divide and conquer our Lunch Sack Honeycomb Fans! Whether it’s decorating for a party or creating a colorful bedroom installation, these look much more complicated than they are.
Using white paper lunch sacks, draw any basic petal shape that you can have your kids trace and cut. If they’re old enough, you can also have them assemble these fans using a glue gun. To get the vibrant color, spray paint outside and enjoy!
Fun for the Family
One of my favorite crafts Lars has done is our Heirloom Ornaments with its corresponding e-book. In this kid-friendly craft, you will be guided on how to transfer family images onto fabric and straight to your tree for the holidays. Think of all the fun you’ll have looking through old photos and reminiscing about memories the whole family has shared—or maybe some before you had kids. Remember that? This will be your literal family tree you’ll get to enjoy year after year!
For more kid-friendly crafts, check out our 78 creative activities to do at home and our art course for children where they can learn to draw flowers! Don’t forget to share your creations with us at #LarsMakes. Happy crafting!