Kids Arts and Crafts Activities - The Artful Parent https://artfulparent.com/activities/kids-arts-and-crafts-activities/ The Artful Parent is a resource for families and educators. We help you raise creative kids with art activities, seasonal crafts, and family fun! Fri, 12 Apr 2024 11:09:03 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cropped-cropped-artful-parent-watermark-transparent-32x32.png Kids Arts and Crafts Activities - The Artful Parent https://artfulparent.com/activities/kids-arts-and-crafts-activities/ 32 32 99273070 22 Nature Art Ideas for Kids https://artfulparent.com/nature-art-for-kids/ https://artfulparent.com/nature-art-for-kids/#respond Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/nature-art-for-kids/ Are you looking to get outside and make some art? Here are some ideas for nature art for kids, inspired by nature or using natural items. Updated March 2024 Nature is the original paintbox. All the colors we use can be found in the natural world and all paint pigments and inks were initially made […]

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Are you looking to get outside and make some art? Here are some ideas for nature art for kids, inspired by nature or using natural items.

Updated March 2024

Nature is the original paintbox.

All the colors we use can be found in the natural world and all paint pigments and inks were initially made from natural materials, such as plants and stones.

Nature also provides the light that informs how we see the world. And it is the primary source of artistic inspiration from time immemorial.

We’ve shared outdoor art ideas for kids and our favorite garden craft ideas. But this list is all about nature art, either getting our inspiration from nature or using natural materials in the art itself.

nature art pinterest
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

Nature art for kids often combines being outside with physical movement and creative activity.

It’s the perfect trio!

Nature Art for Kids

butterfly print with flowers
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

1. Flower Printing

Flower printing is a fun and beautiful nature art project for kids. And it can be done with just about any kind of paint!

2. Leaf Printing on Fabric

Learn how to print with leaves to make beautiful cloth napkins. They are the perfect addition to your table or can be given as a gift!

Land-Art-Mandala-with-Shells
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

3. Land Art for Kids

Land art for kids combines playing and creating art in a natural environment using leaves, rocks, sticks, and other nature items as well as light and water.

4. Make a Nature Mobile

Gathered natural materials, along with air dry clay beads are what you need to create a beautiful nature mobile for kids.

leaves nature art
Photo by Andrea Martelle

5. Creative Ways to Use Leaves

Wondering what to do with all of the Autumn leaves you’ve collected? Here are some of our favorite creative Fall leaf ideas for kids!

6. Use Nature Items as Drawing Prompts

Take items you find in nature and use them as inspiration for drawing prompts!

clay prints
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

7. Clay Nature Prints

Learn how to make clay leaf prints and pendants with air dry clay. This easy nature craft project is fun for kids and creates a beautiful keepsake.

8. Playing with Playdough in Nature (on Mother Natured)

Take your playdough OUTSIDE and see how you can use natural materials to enhance your play!

flower suncatcher
Photo by Andrea Martelle

9. Flower Mandala Suncatchers

Make a beautiful flower suncatcher for the window! All you need is a paper plate, contact paper, and flowers for this fun flower mandala.

10. Autumn Leaf Suncatchers

Or try this simple and beautiful suncatcher leaf craft for kids using fall leaves, flowers and paper plates.

Finished nature diorama with acorns and seed pods
Photo by Kiera Gladstone

11. Paint and Assemble Your Own Nature Diorama!

Gather pinecones, leaves and seed pods on a nature walk. Then paint and assemble these materials with this fun nature diorama project for kids.

12. 5 Nature Art Ideas for Toddlers

Here are five nature art ideas for young children. Paint with mud, print with leaves, create a nature weaving or petal playdough!

rock houses
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

13. Art with Rocks

Try one of these ways to make art with rocks, including painted rocks, chalk rocks, melted crayon rocks, and land art!

14. Chalk Nature Painting (on Meri Cherry)

Use wet and dry chalk to paint on sticks and branches!

leaf rubbings
Photo by Rachel Withers

15. Leaf Rubbings + Watercolor Resist Painting

Learn how to make leaf rubbings for kids. Then turn these into a colorful fall leaf painting activity using the watercolor wax resist method.

16. Leaf Art with Chalk Pastels

Make fall leaf art with chalk pastels. A wonderful autumn drawing activity for kids and adults to create together!

making sunprints with flowers
Photo by Rachel Withers

17. Make Sun Prints

Create beautiful sun prints in a few easy steps with a sun print kit for kids. Learn about Anna Atkins, an early female photographer too!

18. Shadow Tracing with Nature Items

Create beautiful shadow art for kids. Simply trace any pattern of shadow and light on paper, then paint it. This works perfectly with branches, flowers, and houseplants!

feather art in a box
Photo by Samara Caughey

19. Feather Art in a Box

Feathers provide a great nature-based opportunity for kids to notice patterns, shapes & lines. Help kids make their own feather art in a lovely DIY shadow box in this easy nature drawing activity.

20. Paint Leaves (on Art Bar)

Try water soluble crayons or paint sticks to draw and paint on leaves!

sandcasting
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

21. Ocean Crafts for Kids

10 fun ocean crafts for kids to make your next beach trip more creative. Includes melted crayon shells, sandcasting, seashell mandalas, fish paintings.

22. Sandcasting in the Sand Box

If you haven’t tried sandcasting, you must! And you don’t need to go to the beach, you can do it right in the sandbox!

More Nature Art for Kids

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13 Low Mess and Easy Art Activities for Kids https://artfulparent.com/13-simple-art-activities-for-transitions/ https://artfulparent.com/13-simple-art-activities-for-transitions/#respond Thu, 15 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/13-simple-art-activities-for-transitions/ These easy art activity ideas are low mess and perfect for transition points and downtime throughout the day. Updated February 2024 When do you set up art activities for your kids? When our kids were younger, mornings were always good for an art activity. Once our kids entered school, we liked to have a simple […]

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These easy art activity ideas are low mess and perfect for transition points and downtime throughout the day.

Updated February 2024

When do you set up art activities for your kids? When our kids were younger, mornings were always good for an art activity.

Once our kids entered school, we liked to have a simple activity set up for when they got home. It’s as much a chance to sit around the table together and talk as to create together. (We often save the more involved projects for weekends these days.)

The key is to keep things super simple and as mess-free as possible, so you’re more likely to do it!

easy art activities pin
Photo by Rachel Withers

Here are some easy art and craft activities for kids that work well for after school or other transition times. These are low-key, low-mess activities that generally require a minimum of set-up, a minimum of adult involvement, and a minimum of clean-up.

Easy Art Activities for Kids

sticker art
Photo by Rachel Withers

1. Sticker Art

This is such a fun way to “draw” pictures! Simply give your child a piece of paper and a variety of stickers and let them go. They’ll get right to it and have a blast sticking stickers on all over the paper. For older kids, you can use eye stickers for one of our favorite drawing prompts!

shadow art
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

2. Shadow Tracing Art

Shadow art is a super simple, yet highly engaging, art activity for kids. Set up in a sunny spot, trace a pattern of shadow and light on paper, and then paint it.

suncatcher
Photo by Andrea Martelle

3. Tissue Paper Suncatchers

These tissue paper suncatchers are super easy to make, and don’t require any special materials. We also love them because no matter what you use to decorate them, they always come out lovely. You can add feathers, sequins and spangles, and even a little glitter along with the tissue paper squares.

playdough
Photo by Rachel Withers

4. Playdough Play

Playdough is a great transition activity – it requires very little set up or clean up, and the possibilities with it are endless. And check out our post on how to set up a playdough play tray.

drawing prompts
Photo by Andrea Martelle

5. DIY Art Activity Pages (or printables, if you want something super simple)

Encourage kids’ creativity with DIY art activity pages. These can be created on the fly, using materials you already have, and customized to your child’s interests. And if you want something even easier, check out our list of printable art activities.

clay set up
Photo by Rachel Withers

6. Building with Clay

For a simple and relatively mess-free clay experience, try Plastilina! It doesn’t dry out, so it can be used over and over again for so many fun sculpting projects.

beading
Photo by Rachel Withers

7. Pipe Cleaners with Beads

It may seem simple but every kid we know LOVES to string beads on pipe cleaners! Whether they’re doing a random pattern or creating bracelets for friends, this will keep your kids occupied while you get dinner on the table. For older kids, you can try this simple stitching project.

collage
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

8. Collage with Paper Shapes

This super simple activity is always a winner with kids. Tear or cut shapes out of paper and glue onto poster board or cardstock for a colorful and creative design.

grape and toothpicks
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

9. Toothpick Sculptures (try it with grapes for a healthy snack!)

If you haven’t tried toothpick sculptures with your kids, definitely give it a try! It’s a construction project that kids of all ages (adults, too!) will love, and the possibilities for materials are endless.

watercolor resist
Photo by Andrea Martelle

10. Watercolor Resist with crayons or oil pastels

This is a lovely and easy art process that we come back to again and again. Draw designs with crayons or oil pastels, paint over with watercolors, and see the crayon designs come through the paint!

tape art
Photo by Andrea Martelle

12. Washi Tape Art

Kids love tape! Let them make patterns and designs with it and see what they come up with. You can use smaller rolls of washi tape or larger masking tape, too.

drawing a rainbow
Photo by Andrea Martelle

13. Simply Painting or Drawing

If you want to keep things super simple, you can put out some paper and crayons, oil pastels, or a watercolor palette and let your kids create! Some of our favorite moments are sitting around the kitchen table simply drawing and painting with our kids.

If you want to make your life easier, keep an art caddy stocked with low mess art supplies in a place where your kids can access it. You’ll be amazed at the creating that can happen when kids have access to materials and some independence to create with!

art caddy
Photo by Andrea Martelle

Want even more art ideas for kids? Our Art Invitations Creativity Pack will teach you how to set up an art invitation along with 40 simple invitations and resource guide.

More Easy Art for Kids

After School Creativity Pack

Simplify art time with this fun printable booklet of easy art activities

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7 Diversity Art Activities for Kids https://artfulparent.com/7-diversity-art-activities-for-kids-with-faber-castells-world-colors/ https://artfulparent.com/7-diversity-art-activities-for-kids-with-faber-castells-world-colors/#respond Fri, 09 Feb 2024 15:00:00 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/7-diversity-art-activities-for-kids-with-faber-castells-world-colors/ Celebrate diversity and empower kids with these 7 diversity art activities that celebrate everyone’s uniqueness with drawing, painting, and clay art projects. Updated January 2024 Inclusive art materials help children feel seen, valued, and inspired. They encourage a sense of belonging and promote creativity. Realizing the importance of celebrating diversity in children’s art and giving […]

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Celebrate diversity and empower kids with these 7 diversity art activities that celebrate everyone’s uniqueness with drawing, painting, and clay art projects.

Updated January 2024

Inclusive art materials help children feel seen, valued, and inspired. They encourage a sense of belonging and promote creativity.

Realizing the importance of celebrating diversity in children’s art and giving kids the materials to represent themselves and their world, Faber-Castell has added to their popular World Colors line.

These World Colors art materials are now available in colored pencils, crayons, and modeling clay.

The addition of 6 skin tones means that kids all over the world could draw and color not only those 6 natural skin colors, but actually create virtually any skin shade possible by layering and shading.

Talk about empowering. 

Here are 7 fun art activities to do with World Colors art supplies to embrace diversity and creativity!

Watch the video above to see the art activities in action or scroll down to see the photos, details, and get the printables.

7 Diversity Art Activities for Kids

clay faces
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

1. Clay Faces

Use World Colors modeling clay to “paint” faces and portraits onto a small paper plate or piece of card stock.

Start by pressing a small amount of your preferred skin tone clay onto the paper plate to be your face. Add additional pieces, balls, or “snakes” of clay to make eyes, nose, mouth, hair, and accessories.

Draw the rest of the body and clothes, if desired, or make them with clay as well.

TIP: You can mix 2 to 3 colors of modeling clay together to match your skin tone.

Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

2. 3D Clay People

You can also make 3-dimensional clay people by shaping 1 or 2 pipe cleaners into a stick figure, then using the clay to make a head. Add clay clothes and shoes, if you like!

magazine face
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

3. Magazine Pictures

Cut out facial features, such as eyes, a nose, a mouth, or even hair from a magazine.

Glue one or two facial features to a piece of paper.

Use the World Colors colored pencils or crayons to create a portrait using the magazine facial feature as a starting point. Be as realistic or as fantastic as you like!

TIP: If you don’t have a stash of magazines to cut up, simply print out some faces from the internet.

abstract faces (1)
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

4. Modern Art Portraits

Follow these instructions on how to draw abstract self-portraits to create wonderful modern art portraits using the World Colors skin tone crayons as the base. Add watercolors for a colorful watercolor resist effect.

paper dolls
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

5. Paper Dolls

Make your own paper dolls to play with! Color and decorate our free paper doll printables (and their clothes!) with World Colors colored pencils or crayons.

coloring in world faces
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

6. Draw Faces from Around the World

Use our free Draw the Faces printable with World Colors colored pencils or crayons to draw people and faces from around the world. Have fun personalizing each with different facial expressions, skin tones, hair, and accessories.

Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

7. SuperHero Self Portraits

Make your own superhero self-portrait (with accurate skin tones!) with our free printable guide and some World Colors colored pencils or crayons.

Those are just 7 diversity art activities that kids can do with the World Colors line of art materials! But the possibilities are literally endless!

world colors art materials
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

More Diversity Art Activities and Resources

This post is sponsored by Faber-Castell USA and some of the Faber-Castell supplies pictured were sent to us for free for the post. I only promote products I love and believe will be of value to you as well. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Best Art Ideas for 2024 https://artfulparent.com/top-10-art-activities-for-kids/ https://artfulparent.com/top-10-art-activities-for-kids/#respond Fri, 12 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/top-10-art-activities-for-kids/ The Artful Parent’s favorite kids’ art projects! These art ideas are easy, fun and work for a wide age range of children. Updated December 2023 For years now, we’ve had this list of favorite art ideas for kids. Every time we try a new art activity, or even revisit an old favorite, it gets measured against […]

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The Artful Parent’s favorite kids’ art projects! These art ideas are easy, fun and work for a wide age range of children.

Updated December 2023

For years now, we’ve had this list of favorite art ideas for kids. Every time we try a new art activity, or even revisit an old favorite, it gets measured against this list in our head.

To get included on our list of best art ideas, it needs to fit the following criteria:

  • The process is fun and open-ended.
  • It’s easy to do.
  • It’s the kind of activity that kids want to do over and over again.
  • Plus, the end result looks pretty great, too.

Who wouldn’t want to do those art projects?!?

Here are our top 10 favorite kids’ art ideas. If you’re looking to kick the new year off in a creative way, try one of these!

Art Ideas for 2024

raised salt paintings
Photo by Andrea Martelle

1. Raised Salt Painting 

This is an all-time favorite that is loved by kids of all ages. Plus, it uses materials you already have! Glue, salt, and either liquid watercolor paint or food coloring. This activity is so fun for seasonal variations too!

watercolor resist
Photo by Andrea Martelle

2. Watercolor Resist Painting

Watercolor resist techniques are so fun for kids to explore! The simplest version is to draw with crayons on watercolor paper, then paint with watercolors to see how the wax resists the paint!

If your kids love this, be sure to try salt resist painting, tape resist art and alcohol resist painting.

tissue paper suncatcher
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

3. Tissue Paper Suncatchers

Make beautiful tissue paper suncatchers to hang in the window! Or try a nature suncatcher by using flowers and leaves and a paper plate as the frame for a lovely spring or summer decoration.

q tip pointillism rainbow
Photo by Andrea Martelle

4. Pointillism Art for Kids

This twist on watercolor painting uses Q-tips instead of paintbrushes, and is one of our standby, super-easy-yet-interesting activities. Kids love making dots with paint, and then connecting them and seeing how the colors blend. You’ll find even more fun ways to make art with dots HERE!

shaving cream marbling
Photo by Rachel Withers

5. Shaving Cream Marbling 

The best, easiest, and cheapest DIY marbled paper is done with shaving cream marbling. It’s fun and mesmerizing to watch paint swirl and transfer from the shaving cream to paper!

If your kids love this, be sure to try one of our 6 Easy Paper Marbling Techniques including Marbling with Oil + Food Coloring.

blow painting with straws
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

6. Blow Painting with Straws

Blow painting with straws is simple and yet lots of fun for kids of all ages! Use a straw to blow liquid paint around on paper, creating interesting designs.

Rainbow of no cook playdough
Photo by Rachel Withers

7. Playdough Modeling and Play 

Here are some of our favorite creative playdough ideas for kids, including making fantastical creatures, using poke-ins, trying playdough mats, forming letters, and pretend play.

Here are our favorite recipes for no cook playdough and cooked playdough.

blot art butterfly
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

8. Blot Art

This is also known as symmetry painting, blotto painting, smush art, squish painting, and more.

Regardless of the name, kids of all ages love it. It’s easy, fun, and the result is unique every time. Create butterflies, hearts, or just fold a piece of paper, drop a few blobs of paint and fold over the paper!

spin art
Photo by Andrea Martelle

9. Spin Art

Spin painting is a favorite kids art activity that can be done with a salad spinner or with a kids spin art machine.

splatter_painting_rw.jpeg
Photo by Rachel Withers

10. Splatter Painting

Splatter painting is exactly what it sounds like! This action art activity is a big-time favorite with all the kids we’ve known. Super easy, super fun, and super messy, you’ve got to try it!

How about you? What’s on your list of top 10 all-time favorite art activities for kids?

By the way, if there are some art activities on the list above that you haven’t tried yet, we promise you they are good ones that are worth exploring with your kiddos. And if there’s something on that list that you have done, perhaps it’s time to revisit it?

More Ideas for Creative Families

Want even more creative ideas?

Check out our Artful Parent Starter Pack!

Engage your kids through art and creativity with this printable booklet where you’ll find all of our best tips, tricks, and ideas for getting started on your artful parenting journey!

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How to Make Friendship Bracelets https://artfulparent.com/how-to-make-friendship-bracelets/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 20:53:06 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/?p=180587 Learn how to make friendship bracelets that are sweet and simple to make. The whole family will get into this fun beading activity! Have you joined the friendship bracelet club? Whether you’re a Swiftie or not, friendship bracelets are enjoying a vibrant comeback right now with their nostalgic charm and customizable designs. Friendship bracelets are […]

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Learn how to make friendship bracelets that are sweet and simple to make. The whole family will get into this fun beading activity!

Have you joined the friendship bracelet club? Whether you’re a Swiftie or not, friendship bracelets are enjoying a vibrant comeback right now with their nostalgic charm and customizable designs.

Friendship bracelets are a blast for kids to make. They combine creativity and manual dexterity, allowing kids to design unique accessories that they can keep or give to friends. Plus, the hands-on process of threading colorful beads onto string or cords fosters fine motor skills.

We make lots of friendship bracelets at our house, and it usually ends up that the entire family is gathered around the table, stringing beads on in all kinds of patterns.

And if you’ve got little ones at home, they can be included in the fun! We’ve got lots of fun bead bracelet ideas for little kids!

friendship bracelets pinterest
Photo by Andrea Martelle

How to Make Friendship Bracelets

MATERIALS

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Prepare materials

    Before you begin beading, cut the elastic cord to a comfortable length for a bracelet, usually around 10-12 inches. We typically tape one end to a tray and wrap a piece of tape around the other end, to make for easier beading.

    Gather a variety of beads in different colors, shapes, and sizes.

    bracelet making materials

  2. Thread beads

    This is the fun part! String your beads onto your elastic cord in any pattern you’d like. If you have letter beads, you can make your name, or a friend’s name!

    starting a bracelet

    Keep beading! You’ll be amazed at how quickly a bracelet comes together.

    making a bracelet

  3. Tie the bracelet off

    Measure the bracelet around your wrist and make any necessary adjustments.

    Once the beads are threaded, tie a secure knot at the ends of the cord to hold the beads in place. Double or triple knot to ensure it’s tight and won’t unravel easily. You can also use a drop of craft glue to secure it. Trim the excess cord.

    friendship bracelet

Now you can wear your bracelet! Or give it to a friend! And get ready to make your next one, because we find that we can never make just one!

friendship bracelets
Photo by Andrea Martelle

More Bead Crafts for Kids

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How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments with Sparkly Glass Beads https://artfulparent.com/sparkly-beaded-salt-dough-ornaments-suncatchers-garlands/ https://artfulparent.com/sparkly-beaded-salt-dough-ornaments-suncatchers-garlands/#respond Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:45:50 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/sparkly-beaded-salt-dough-ornaments-suncatchers-garlands/ Learn how to make salt dough ornaments with sparkly beads for a beautiful Christmas ornament or suncatcher any time of year! Updated December 2023 Salt dough ornaments are a holiday classic and there are a ton of ways you can make them. We’ve been making all kinds of ornaments—lacy ones, stamped ones, and even colorful […]

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Learn how to make salt dough ornaments with sparkly beads for a beautiful Christmas ornament or suncatcher any time of year!

Updated December 2023

Salt dough ornaments are a holiday classic and there are a ton of ways you can make them. We’ve been making all kinds of ornaments—lacy ones, stamped ones, and even colorful painted ones.

Sparkly beaded salt dough ornaments might be our favorites. They have a beautiful stained glass effect when hanging in the window, and they sparkle on a Christmas tree!

Be sure to check out our favorite salt dough recipe at the end to help you get started. And for even more craft and ornament ideas, check out 11 Salt Dough Crafts Kids Can Make!

How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments

MATERIALS

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Make Your Dough

    Follow the recipe below to make a batch of salt dough. Lay parchment paper down for your dough. The parchment paper helps to keep the dough from sticking to the table.

    salt dough ornaments

  2. Roll Out Your Dough

    Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and cut out shapes with cookie cutters.

    salt dough ornaments

  3. Decorate!

    Poke glass beads all over your dough. For the stained glass effect, gently push and wiggle the beads down to make sure they can be seen on both sides of your dough shape.

    beaded salt dough ornament

  4. Bake Your Ornaments

    Use a straw to poke a hole in the top of your ornament. Bake at 225F for 3-4 hours. Let cool completely. Then use ribbon or yarn to hang your ornaments and enjoy!

    beaded salt dough ornament

  5. Protect Your Ornaments (optional)

    Add a coat of Mod Podge to your ornament to help protect the beads and keep them in place.

Our Favorite Salt Dough Recipe

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Our Favorite Salt Dough Recipe

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  • Author: Jean Van’t Hul
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
  • Category: crafts

Description

We’ve tried so many salt dough crafts and made lots of variations of salt dough ornaments over the years. Here’s our favorite salt dough recipe with instructions to get you started.


Ingredients

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1 1/2 cups cold water (+ extra  1/4 cup of water if needed)

Instructions

  1. Mix flour with salt then stir in water. If the dough doesn’t come together, add another 1/4 cup of water or so. 
  2. Turn out the salt dough onto a countertop and work together with your hands until evenly mixed. 
  3. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge until ready to use.
  4. Place a fist-size piece of dough on a sheet of parchment paper and cover with a second sheet of parchment paper. Roll dough out with a rolling pin 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick.
  5. Use cookie cutters to cut out the desired shapes. Pull away the extra dough from around the shapes with the cookie cutters still in place.
  6. Use the end of a drinking straw, a skewer, or a chopstick to poke a hole at the top of each ornament for hanging.
  7. If you plan to decorate the ornaments, do that step now. Try stamps and a stamp pad, poking a pattern of holes in the dough with the end of a straw, or poking glass beads into the dough.
  8. Gently move the sheet of parchment paper with salt dough ornaments onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 275F oven for 2-3 hours or until the salt dough is hard, but not browned. Let cool.
  9. (Optional) Add a coat of Mod Podge or some paint (we like BioColor paint for these) and glitter.
  10. Add a ribbon through the hole and hang in the window or on the tree!

More Salt Dough Ornament Crafts for Kids

Want even more creative ideas?

Check out our Holiday Creativity pack!

Let’s celebrate the holidays with all things crafty! Here are 53 pages full of our favorite drawing prompts, creative play ideas, art activities, and more!

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11 Creative Activities for Kids of All Ages https://artfulparent.com/simple-kids-activities/ https://artfulparent.com/simple-kids-activities/#respond Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/simple-kids-activities/ These creative activities for kids work well with a group of mixed-age children. Simple, open-ended ideas to explore, perfect for holiday gatherings. Updated October 2023 This time of year, we tend to spend a lot of time with family. Often there can be a range of ages with cousins, siblings, neighbors, and friends gathering together. […]

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These creative activities for kids work well with a group of mixed-age children. Simple, open-ended ideas to explore, perfect for holiday gatherings.

Updated October 2023

This time of year, we tend to spend a lot of time with family. Often there can be a range of ages with cousins, siblings, neighbors, and friends gathering together. Here are some creative activities that work especially well for a group of children with mixed ages.

We hope you find this list helpful for inspiring creativity in your kids whether during the holidays, family get-togethers, or during play dates.

creative activities pinterest
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

Creative Activities for Kids

playdough play
Photo by Rachel Withers


1. Playdough Play and Modeling

Playdough is one of our favorite sensory materials because it is fairly low-mess and kids of all ages have a blast using it. Try making playdough turkeys for Thanksgiving or creating a playdough tray for some small world pretend play!

children making toothpick sculptures
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

2. Toothpick Construction

Building toothpick sculptures is a construction project that is simple enough for young children yet challenging enough for older kids. And you can use just about anything to attach the toothpicks to each other, but grapes and marshmallows are our favorite!

child doing sticker art
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

3. Open-Ended Art Activities

We love a simple art invitation to gather kids around the table together. The key is to keep things super simple and as mess-free as possible, so you’re more likely to do it! Some favorites are sticker art, paper collages, and tissue paper suncatchers.

Photo by Catalina Gutierrez

4. Cooperative Drawing Games

Drawing games are the best. They are fun, they are creative and connecting, but they are also easy to fit in whenever and wherever. We especially like the back and forth drawing game, this fun family drawing game, and the scribble drawing game.

sensory play for kids
Photo by Andrea Martelle

5. Sensory Exploration and Play

If you have the space to spread out a little, sensory play is a great mixed-age activity. For low-mess options, we prefer kinetic sand or playdough. If you want to get messy or can take things outside, our kids love oobleck or slime!

children in fort
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

6. Build a Fort!

What kids don’t love making a cozy fort?! You can simply use furniture + sheets + pillows or if you have one, use our favorite Fort Magic fort-building kit.

cardboard building discs
Photo by Samara Caughey

7. Smaller Scale Construction

If you don’t want the living room turned into a fort, you can try building on a smaller scale! Try these 5 fun building ideas using cardboard. Or bring out the LEGOs, Magnatiles, or wooden blocks!

How to Make Cinnamon Ornaments_Feature
Photo by Rachel Withers

8. Get Started on Holiday Decorations

You can never start working on holiday decorations too early! Whip up a batch of salt dough for ornaments, try some yummy-smelling cinnamon ornaments, or a dried orange garland. The family will love working together to create some beautiful holiday decor.

Photo by Andrea Martelle

9. Play a Game Together

If you don’t have a family favorite, check out some of ours. We also have a great list of games by age.

Bookshelf of seasonal home library for children
Photo by Anna Harpe

10. Read Books Together 

This is one of favorite activities to do with kids of all ages. You can create a seasonal library together, or head to the library and check out some of these Thanksgiving children’s books.

filling muffin tins
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

11. Bake together!

Kids love to help in the kitchen, and if you’re gathering for Thanksgiving or another holiday, why not include them in the preparations? Try these yummy pumpkin muffins, this easy apple Bundt cake, or some teddy bear bread!

How about you? Which of these creative activities will you try this holiday season with your family, friends, and neighbors?

Want even more creative ideas?

Check out our Thanksgiving Creativity pack!

Full of wonderfully fun ideas to help your family practice gratitude this season, this 38-page printable eBook includes: Drawing Prompts, Conversation Starters, Art Projects, and more!

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9 Ways to Decorate Rocks for Handmade Gifts https://artfulparent.com/melted-crayon-rock-art-as-gifts/ https://artfulparent.com/melted-crayon-rock-art-as-gifts/#respond Fri, 08 Sep 2023 20:08:00 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/melted-crayon-rock-art-as-gifts/ If you are looking for a sweet and simple handmade gift, decorate rocks! Here are some of our favorite ways to make and give decorated rocks. Updated October 2023 There are so many ways to decorate rocks, and they all make lovely handmade gifts. You can give them to a friend, teacher, or neighbor. Or […]

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If you are looking for a sweet and simple handmade gift, decorate rocks! Here are some of our favorite ways to make and give decorated rocks.

Updated October 2023

There are so many ways to decorate rocks, and they all make lovely handmade gifts. You can give them to a friend, teacher, or neighbor. Or leave them in a special spot in your neighborhood as a surprise for someone!

Here are some of our favorite ways to decorate rocks to give to someone special!

decorate rocks pin

Decorated Rocks as Handmade Gifts

Melted Crayon Rocks
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

1. Melted Crayon Rocks

You can make melted crayon rocks by heating rocks in the oven and then coloring on them with crayons. The heat from the rocks melts the croons as you color and makes a gorgeous painted effect. This is something we’ve done many times over the years and is one of our favorites. 

Wishing Stones
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

2. Wishing Stones

Wishing stones are a special, personalized gift for friends. Start with melted crayon rocks and add your message with Sharpie markers.

Heart Stones
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

3. Decoupaged Heart Rocks

Make simple decoupage heart rocks with smooth rocks, fabric hearts, and Mod Podge for Valentine’s Day. These make a fun and easy gift for friends, neighbors, or classmates.

Glitter Heart Stones
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

4. Glitter Rock Valentines

Or try making rock valentines. They are super simple to make and involve three favorite art materials of every child we know —rocks, glue, and glitter.

hide and seek rocks
Photo by Andrea Martelle

5. Hide & Seek Rock Painting

Use acrylic paint, or a fun rock painting kit, to make sweet designs and pictures on your rocks. When you’re done painting, spread kindness to the people in your life by hiding your rocks in your neighborhood or local park.

autumn leaf rocks
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

6. Autumn Leaf Rocks

Look at these lovely fall beauties! Tiny autumn leaves mod podged to small rocks. Very simple, attractive, and quite seasonal, they make the perfect autumnal gift!

Story stones

7. Make a Set of Story Stones

Paint a series of pictures on rocks to use as story stones. You children can rearrange them in different ways to tell all kinds of stories!

christmas keepsake rocks

8. Christmas Keepsake Stones

Keepsake stones are a wonderful way for children to create handmade gifts for their friends and family for the holidays. When it comes to decorating your stones, there are endless possibilities.

painted rock house
Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

9. Make Painted Rock Houses

These charming little rock houses are super fun and easy for kids to make, and using rocks as a canvas is surprisingly satisfying. When finished, leave them in your neighbor’s or friend’s garden as a surprise gift!

More Nature Art Ideas for Kids

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How to Make Melted Crayon Rocks https://artfulparent.com/melted-crayon-rocks/ https://artfulparent.com/melted-crayon-rocks/#respond Wed, 06 Sep 2023 10:14:00 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/melted-crayon-rocks/ Melted crayon rocks are made by “painting” on hot rocks with crayons. The crayons melt as they touch the heated rock and make a lovely painted effect. Updated October 2023 Aren’t these melted crayon rocks beautiful? This is something we’ve done a few times over the years and is one of our favorite ways to […]

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Melted crayon rocks are made by “painting” on hot rocks with crayons. The crayons melt as they touch the heated rock and make a lovely painted effect.

Updated October 2023

Aren’t these melted crayon rocks beautiful? This is something we’ve done a few times over the years and is one of our favorite ways to decorate rocks.

Here’s how to do this super simple rock art activity. Trust us when we say, you’ll want to make them over and over again!

Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

How to Make Melted Crayon Rocks

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MATERIALS

  • Small, smooth rocks
  • Crayons (to protect fingers, do not use short stubs)
  • Oven
  • Baking sheet
  • Towel or mat to protect your table
  • Foil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Gather your rocks

    Go for a walk in your neighborhood and look for smooth rocks. Gather up a small collection of them and wash and dry them completely.

    colander of rocks

  2. Heat your rocks

    Spread the clean rocks out on a foil-lined cookie sheet and put them in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven to heat up. It usually takes about 5-10 minutes for them to get hot.

    Once the rocks are hot, we transfer them one or two at a time to a protected surface to work, leaving the rest in the oven.

    tray of rocks

  3. Protect work surface

    We protect our work surface with a cloth and a piece of foil. The foil works to catch the melting crayon and the cloth helps to keep the hot rock from damaging the table surface.

    You should also use an oven mitt or wash cloth to protect little hands from hot rocks.

    child making melted crayon rocks

  4. Decorate!

    Simply press a crayon to the hot rock and watch as the heat melts the crayon and creates a smooth, vibrant, colorful coating that hardens into a waxy shell.

    melted crayon rock

    The melting crayon is so liquid it’s like painting with crayons. You can use one color or several. Make designs, swirls, dots, stripes, faces, whatever you’d like!

Photo by Jean Van’t Hul

These melted crayon rocks are really fun and easy to make. And they are perfect for pretend play! Use them to tell stories, with sensory play, or anything your kids come up with.

More Ideas for Melted Crayon Rocks

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Two Nature Inspired Art Activities for Kids https://artfulparent.com/two-nature-inspired-art-projects-for-kids/ https://artfulparent.com/two-nature-inspired-art-projects-for-kids/#respond Sat, 05 Aug 2023 14:05:00 +0000 https://artfulparent.com/two-nature-inspired-art-projects-for-kids/ These two nature inspired art projects encourage kids to observe and create with nature. The art activities include observational drawing of flowers and clay leaf printing. Projects and post by Lia Salza Goldstein of Little Loft Studios. Updated August 2023 “Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – […]

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These two nature inspired art projects encourage kids to observe and create with nature. The art activities include observational drawing of flowers and clay leaf printing. Projects and post by Lia Salza Goldstein of Little Loft Studios.

Updated August 2023

“Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – we haven’t time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.”

– Georgia O’Keeffe

The world is a treasure trove of unusual shapes, delicate colors, hidden shimmer.

Not only does nature inspire projects at my children’s art studio, but it also teaches kids the key skill of being an artist and a mindful human: observation.

Kids notice their surroundings. They look carefully. They see beauty in everyday objects. And they take the time to see.

“Can we use this for a project, Ms. Lia?” I hear this question daily as children find treasures along the way. A feather, a rock for painting, a perfect stick for a mobile. And they know I can’t resist a good pinecone!

Here are two different nature-inspired art projects for kids that will encourage them to observe closely and create!

nature inspired art pinterest

Nature Inspired Art Activities for Kids

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MATERIALS

Nature inspired art for kids – Clay leaf impressions and glitter painted leaves

INSTRUCTIONS Project 1: Leaf Impressions

  1. Gather leaves

    Begin by having the kids collect leaves that they find beautiful. Then flatten and dry them. The leaves should still have enough moisture so that they don’t crack.

  2. Create leaf impression in clay

    Then roll out air dry clay and make an impression of the leaf by pressing it onto the clay. Cut around it with a clay tool or butter knife.

    Child-creating-leaf-impression-with-leaf-in-clay

  3. Paint leaf impression

    Finally, allow the clay to dry overnight and paint with tempera or acrylic paint.

    clay leaf impressions

    The finished projects make nice nature-inspired dishes for rings, coins, or more outdoor tiny finds!

Project 2: Flower Study

1. Gather flowers

First, have the children find a flower to observe.

Flowers-for-observational-drawing-and-nature-inspired-art-project
Photo by Lia Salza Goldstein

2. Observe & draw parts of the flower

Next, look carefully at each part. Then, using pencil, draw the flower with attention to shapes, segments, patterns and color.

Child-observational-drawing-for-nature-inspired-art-project-1024x715
Photo by Lia Salza Goldstein

3. Paint or color drawing

Lastly, fill in the drawing with colored pencil or watercolor.

I hope you try these nature inspired art projects for kids!

Photo by Lia Salza Goldstein

More Nature Inspired Art Activities

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