Ask A Sacramento Expert: Easy Crafts To Do With Your Kids

The Daily Meal Staff|Sept. 26, 2014 7:00 am EST

ArtBeast Studio is a place for children to have fun. It has numerous classes allowing children to dig into the arts. Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, you are sure to find a time that fits into your schedule. You can even schedule a Beastie Birthday Party. Enjoy two hours in the birthday studio with a craft, a sweet table set with real dishes and an ArtBeast Host. All supplies used with the children are non toxic and washable.

Mariah Nall
ArtBeast Studio
2226 K St.
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 441-1233
www.artbeaststudio.com

Mariah will have been at ArtBeast four years next month. She is an art coach and runs summer camp programs and workshops. She is passionate about what she does with the children and has endless projects for utilizing the creativity of youth. Here are a few easy crafts she suggests for keeping your kids thoroughly entertained.

Egg Carton Creatures

To make your Egg Carton Creatures, also know as bugs, you will need egg cartons, glue, colored puffballs, colored sticks, pipe cleaners, markers and googly eyes. You can use one egg holder for a small bug like a spider, or use three of the egg sections and make a centipede. Give the children the chance and they will certainly come up with other ideas. Use markers to make designs on the creatures, adding puffballs for noses or ears and googly eyes for the final touch.

Pool Noodle Prints

This item will need some help from a teacher or parent. Supplies needed include a cutting tool for the adult to use, washable paints and paper. Cut pool noodles into slices, and then cut out shapes for the children to use for stamping. If you want to get very creative, you could cut a handle on one side for them to hold it with, and then cut the shape on the other side. This would really be great if you plan to use them frequently, as it would make it less messy. Place the stamp in paint and then stamp the paper. Using washable paints, you can wash the noodle stamps off when finished and store for another play day.

Water Color and Crayon Resist

The supplies you need for this project are a white color crayon, white construction paper and washable watercolor paints. Have the children draw on the construction paper with the white crayon. When they have finished the drawing, have them paint over the drawing with the watercolors. The white crayon drawing will resist the paints and show through.

Raindrop Paintings

Here is another watercolor craft for the little ones. Supplies needed are watercolors, eyedroppers and white construction paper. It is recommended that you have a cloth or newspaper under the construction paper. Place an eyedropper in each of the watercolor paints. Let the children drop paint on their construction paper.

Sun Catchers

The sun catchers require colored cellophane paper and clear contact paper to make. Cut the cellophane into different shapes, using different colors. Lay the cellophane on clear contact paper to laminate, and then place contact paper on the back also. Poke a hole in the top and attach a string.

Deb Ling is a freelance writer covering all things Sacramento. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.