Even as a teenager babysitting children, I usually had craft ideas that I used to help entertain my charges. These are 5 of my favorite crafts; loved by all the children I looked after and all those that are now in my Kindergarten classroom. Using a handful of simple craft materials makes these crafts even easier to pull together and complete. They take very little prep and are all unique enough that you can add in extra details to give each one extra personality! To complete these crafts, I used wooden craft sticks, chenille stems, liquid glue, glue sticks, markers, construction paper, cardstock, acrylic paint, wiggle eyes, pom-poms, and red and white striped bakers twine.
Begin by using the black and yellow acrylic paint to paint 3 wooden craft sticks black and 3 yellow. Set aside to dry. Tip: Paint on wax paper and let them dry there so they will peel off easier when dry. When dry, line up the painted wooden crafts sticks (black, yellow, black, yellow, etc.) and use liquid glue to glue two unpainted wooden crafts sticks to the back to hold the yellow and black sticks in place. Let dry. Trim any wooden craft stick that is sticking out past the painted craft sticks with scissors. Meanwhile, download the pattern for the bumble bee wings and trace onto white cardstock and add curved lines (as seen in photo) with a pencil or black marker, for dimension. Cut out and layer smaller wings on top. Glue with a glue stick and set both pairs aside to drive. Using one black chenille stem to make the antennae, fold in half and cut. When the bee body is dry, flip over to the back and use liquid glue to glue on the two halves of the chenille stem an inch from the top and in the shape of "v". Let dry. When the chenille stems and glue are dry, use a pencil or skewer stick to roll up the chenille stem to resemble antennae. Turn the bee over to the front and use liquid glue to glue on two wiggle eyes, draw a mouth with a black marker, and use liquid glue to glue on wings. Once dry, your cute little bumble bee is ready to fly!
These adorable caterpillars are super cute and quick to make! Use a variety of markers to decorate a wooden craft stick with the pattern of your choice. Let dry for a few minutes and choose which color of pom-pom you will use to create the caterpillar's head. Use liquid glue to place a small dot of glue on one end of the craft stick and place a pom-pom on top. Press down gently and set aside to dry. While the glue is drying, select a chenille stem and cut 2, one-inch lengths to use as the antennae. Use liquid glue to glue on the antennae to the pom-pom, just under where the pom-pom is glued to the craft stick. Let dry. Once dry, use two small drops of liquid glue to glue on wiggle eyes to the pom-pom. Your cute caterpillar is now complete; so easy to make, you can create several at a time!
After creating a cute caterpillar, the perfect craft is creating this beautiful butterfly! Made using the child's own traced hand print, it is a keepsake gift! Begin by downloading the butterfly body template. Cut out the butterfly body template and trace onto construction paper. Cut out the shape. Choose a complementary color of construction paper and trace a child's left and right hand on it. Cut out both handprints and cut a curve at the bottom of each hand where the wrist would be. Use a glue stick to glue the two handprints together, overlapping slightly, making sure the thumbs are both pointing up. Use the glue stick again to glue the body on top of the handprints. Trim two 4-inch by 1/4 inch lengths of construction paper for the antennae. Use a glue stick to glue one end to the back of the butterfly head. When dry, use a pencil or skewer to curl the opposite end of the antennae forward. Glue on wiggle eyes with liquid glue and add a smile with a marker. Use liquid glue to add small pom-poms to each wing. Set aside to dry. Once dry, your beautiful butterfly is complete!
This little octopus is so cute and full of personality! Cut a 6 x 9 inch rectangle of construction paper. Use a glue stick to place glue down the length of one of the short sides of the rectangle and then roll it up to form a tube, overlapping the two edges by 1/2 inch. Make eight, one-inch cuts along one end of of the tube, cutting approximately 1/3 of the way up the paper. These will be the octopus tentacles. Use a pencil or skewer to curl up each tentacle slightly. Using a coordinating marker color, draw three to four circles on each arm to replicate the suckers. Lay the octopus down and determine the front side (I placed the seam to the back) and glue on two wiggle eyes with liquid glue and add a smile with a marker. These little guys are fun and easy to create and make a great addition to any under-the-sea theme or unit!
A super spinner is a fun craft for older children and lets them watch how their designs spin to create a rainbow! Begin by downloading the free circle template. Trace two circle templates onto cardstock and then cut out. Use a glue stick to glue the circles back to back and have an adult use a pen, pencil, or scissors to poke two holes just to the left and right of the center of the circle. Using Crayola markers, decorate both sides of the circle with a fun rainbow design. Let dry for a few minutes. Cut approximately 24 inches of bakers twine and thread both ends through the holes previously poked in the circles. Tie the loose ends of the twine together. Now your spinner is ready to spin! Hold the twine on each end by pinching it in your thumb and pointer fingers. Make big swirls away from you, letting the twine wind up around itself. Once the twine starts to curl up, pull out on both ends of the twine and watch your design spin away!
