It is officially summer vacation, and keeping your kids entertained for the whole day can be a challenge. How do teachers do it all day long? Today, this article would like to share a few paper-craft ideas that are easy for your kids to try this summer.
With the amount of technology and TV available, it can sometimes be difficult to get kids to sit down and do traditional crafts. Incorporating craft time into your daily schedule is a great way to get your kids away from the TV screen. It is also a great way to allow your child to let their creativity run wild!
Looking for something fun to do with your kids? Try the following suggestions.
Create a Work of Art
Let your child be the artist and create their own piece of art inspired by Sol LeWitt.
Sol LeWitt’s work is characterized by dramatic lines and oversized pieces. Let your child create their own version by getting them a large sketchpad and an easel, if you desire.
You can show them some of LeWitt’s work or let them start from scratch. The great part about this type of art is that it is inexpensive! You can find affordable craft materials like cheap sketch pads and inexpensive colored markers, and your child will be ready to create their own masterpiece!
Paper Kite
Did you make your own kite as a kid? If so, this DIY paper kite may bring fond back memories of your childhood. To make the paper kite, you will need two dowel rods, twine, and an old map. Using an old map is a great way to teach your children about the importance of recycling. An old map also makes for a super-cool-looking kite!
Collage
Another great way to teach your child about recycling and make paper craft is to create a collage using old magazine cutouts. Your child can choose their own theme or just cut out pictures that they like and paste them onto another piece of paper. This craft can be adapted for kids of all ages! Just be sure to use safety scissors.
Translucent vellum sheets can help keep your child’s collages safe for years and years to come. These see-through sheets are durable aside from being versatile materials for any craft project.
Dino Hat
If your child is into dinosaurs (who isn’t?), help them use some green paper to make their own dinosaur hat. You can help your child by tracing out the items they need to cut and then helping them assemble the paper using tape and paper clips. Once you have completed the hat, your child will feel like a real dino!
Fire-Breathing Dragons
Your kids will be so excited when you ask them if they want to make their own fire-breathing dragons. All you will need for this craft are green paper, a toilet paper roll, tissue paper cut into strips, googly eyes, and pom-poms.
Once your dragon is assembled, your child will be able to put it up to their mouth and make the tissue paper move by blowing through the toilet paper roll. This will make your child feel like a real fire-breathing dragon.
Giraffe Craft
If you are teaching your children about zoo animals, consider incorporating this giraffe paper craft into your day! You will have the child trace their hand and arm on yellow paper and then proceed to cut it out.
Next, grab some brown pom-poms to adhere to the hand you just cut out to resemble spots on the giraffe. You will also cut out two black circles to represent the giraffe’s horns and attach googly eyes! If you are short on supplies, feel free to draw on the spots and eyes.
Paper Masks
Have a fun afternoon role-playing with your kids, and make these fun masks to take your game to the next level. This craft is easy in that all you need are paper, scissors, glue, and markers.
If you want your masks to have lenses, you can use clear or tinted plastic to make those. This is a fairly fast craft to make, so if you have a lot of kids or are babysitting, this is a great craft for the whole group!
Tickle Their Imagination
Paper crafts are a great activity to do with your kids this summer. Regardless of what you decide to make, paper crafts are generally easy because most people have paper around their house. You can also use paper crafts as a great way to teach your children about recycling and the importance of creativity.
Whether you decide to make your own giraffe, kite, or mask, you are sure to have a great time bonding with your child and teaching them how to express themselves with arts and crafts. If they get an idea while you are crafting, let their creativity run wild, and you may just come up with a new craft!
I love collages. It was one of my favorite crafts when I was a child which was a long, long time ago.
These are such great craft ideas and ones that I had not heard of before. We have to make that giraffe craft soon that one is so adorable thanks for sharing.
Thank you for all the ideas. I love making what you suggest with the girls. they are so much fun.
All of these would fall under fantastic! I remember making kites. Fun challenging and truly a bit of science and magic. I also love the idea of doing collages. I think kids can get super creative and make use of common materials. Good ideas.