DIY paper
dream a little bigger
Photo frames and fiberglass window screens can be converted into DIY deckles that can be used to make paper. Kids will love being able to turn old worksheets and junk mail into paper and reuse them.
Get the tutorial at Dream a Little Bigger »
decoder wheel
Manufacture energetically
Kids will have so much fun deciphering secret messages if they make their own decoder wheel. You can use the code from the tutorial below or create your own code or cipher.
Get tutorials at Crafting Cheerful »
recycled t-shirt bracelet
amanda's crafts
Children can turn old T-shirts that are too small or too damaged to wear into colorful bracelets. This activity can also spark conversations about sustainability and the lifecycle of what you buy.
Get tutorials at Crafts By Amanda »
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wally monsters
I don't have time to use flashcards
fairy house
Happiness is handmade
Get kids into the “cottagecore” trend by making fairy houses and decorations out of polymer clay. You can then place it in the garden, under a tree, or anywhere you think children need color or where you think there is a fairy in need of a good home.
Get the tutorial at Happiness Is Homemade »
magnetic race track
Jamie Rymer/Practice as you grow
By gluing a metal washer to the bottom of a toy car and grabbing a strong magnet, kids have a new way to get their car onto the track. You can also explain the concept of magnetism and talk about the power of magnets.
Get the tutorial at Hands On as We Grow »
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DIY sidewalk chalk
activities for kids
Of course, you can also purchase sidewalk chalk in stores. But making them yourself adds a new layer to the activity, plus kids can mix their favorite colors and create fun shapes (depending on the type of mold you use).
Get tutorials at Kid Friendly Things to Do »
fire breathing dragon
one little project
Here are some crafts that are sure to inspire imaginative play. With a few changes, you can turn a cardboard tube into a fire-breathing dragon perfect for adventures with knights, princes, and princesses.
Get the tutorial at One Little Project »
DIY paint brush
emma owl
Use clothespins to secure different objects around your home or garden (string, ribbon, craft supplies, leaves, flowers, etc.) and see how each material acts as a paintbrush. Your child will be able to experiment with how different brush strokes are created on different materials and will have a cool piece of art when finished.
Get the tutorial with Emma Owl »
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backyard treasure hunt
Alice & Lois
Develop map-reading skills early by giving them hand-crafted paths to treasures and prizes. Then flip it over and let the kids create their own map.
Get the tutorial on Alice & Lois »
bucket list lease
improvise design
This is an activity that generates ideas for future activities. The clothespins that make up this wreath have hints for a fun day written on them, such as “Beach day” and “Go to the museum.” Also known as a “bucket list” item. Every time your family goes on a weekend without anything, you can always go with them and choose one. Refresh your clothespins during summer vacation, winter break, or any other expected downtime.
Get tutorials on Design Improvised »
jack and the beanstalk activity
meaningful mom
This is great because it works across so many subjects. This is a little bit of his STEM, a little art with a little bit of literacy thrown in. After reading Jack and the Beanstalk, you can bring the story to life by planting and training your own sprouts. They tried to climb on the skewers to the picture of the castle. They won't sprout overnight like Jack, but kids will love tracking the growth of the stems.
Get the tutorial on Meaningful Mama »
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DIY bath bomb
beautiful mess
Teens and tweens will love making their own homemade bath bombs (this is a great idea for a birthday party with built-in favors). Once you've mastered this technique perfectly, you'll love experimenting with shapes and scents.
Get the tutorial at A Beautiful Mess »
bubble refill station
hello, great
Those bubbles? It will be gone in no time. By creating (and decorating if you feel like it) a DIY bubble refilling station, kids will have a useful decorative item and a way to refill the bubble solution without parental involvement.
Get the tutorial at Hello, Wonderful »
avengers bookmark
amanda's crafts
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felt flower bouquet
Happiness is handmade
The best thing about these felt flowers is that you don't need to sew them. Kids can decorate their rooms, put them in pencil cups, use them as bookmarks, but they also make great Mother's Day gifts.
Get the tutorial at Happiness Is Homemade »
pool noodle pom pom launcher fight
activities for kids
What do you get when you combine pool noodle slices and latex balloons? You get an item that sends pom poms flying into the sky! The pom poms are super soft, so you don't have to worry about them getting damaged if your kids send them all over the place. .
Get tutorials on Kid Friendly Things to Do »
spider web search
Jamie Rymer/Practice as you grow
These children were challenged to find bug stickers hidden along the thread nests. Walking in and around the web was great gross motor training, and they were given a list of bugs to find, which also became a matching activity.
Get the tutorial at Hands On as We Grow »
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finger puppet
A cunning mom's scattered thoughts
bus paint
I Heart Arts and Crafts
With just two ingredients, you can make a DIY paint that won't stain your bathtub and can go down the drain. That way, your toddler artist will be too busy creating their masterpiece to notice that their hair is being scrubbed.
Get tutorials at I Heart Arts 'n' Crafts »
Marisa (she/her) has been covering all things parenting, from the postpartum period to the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018. She previously wrote about her parents and family in her “Parents and Working Mother.” She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and her daughter and can be seen dominating the audio at local bar trivia nights or tweeting about movies.
Lauren, who oversees all things home for GoodHousekeeping.com and HouseBeautiful.com, is obsessed with midcentury design and takes a tough-love approach to decluttering (ladies, just throw it away ). She loves anything neon coral, she puts bacon on her veggie burger, and she'll chase Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to the ends of the earth.
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