20 DIY Projects To Make With Your Kids (Slideshow)
Baked Crayons
Boring one color crayons making your kids stir crazy? Go through their art-box and gather all of the broken pieces to create cool tie-dye crayons they'll be excited to make and play with. Simply break up multicolor crayons in an old cupcake sheet and bake for really unique art supplies!
Paper Plate Animal Masks
All you need to create these masks is a stack of paper plates, a pair of scissors, and some craft paint. Set out palettes of paint so that your kids can create their own designs or paint their favorite animals. After a couple of hours of drying, the plates will be ready for playtime. Click here for detailed instructions.
— Caroline Lange
Paper Plate Pizza
Help the kids open up their own pizzeria without the mess. Construction paper and glue are all you need to make a paper pizza. Just be sure to help them cut out the toppings! Click here for the instructions.
Homemade Play-Doh
Transform a couple of ingredients you already have in your pantry into colorful homemade Play-Doh. It only takes a few minutes to mix up — and it's so easy that your kids can help. Then bring out the cookie cutters and let your kids go to town. Click here for the recipe.
— Caroline Lange
Juice Box Boats
Have a kid that cannot get enough of their juice boxes? Save a few and create miniature boats they can sail in kiddie pool. Click here for instructions.
Egg Carton Animal Noses
Create a menagerie's worth of animal noses with this easily customizable craft. Use cut-up egg cartons as the bases, and then help your kids paint them, and then add details like teeth and whiskers so that they to look like various snouts and muzzles. We especially like the fox and crocodile noses. Click here for the how-to.
— Caroline Lange
Paper Rocket
Have a few straws , paper and markers? You can make these super fun paper rockets that kids can safely shoot at each other in the house or around the yard. Click here for instructions.
Egg Carton Seed Starter
Recycle an egg carton as a planter and you'll not only teach your children about how plants grow, but you'll also get some herbs as a bonus. Fill each cup with a bit of potting soil, place a couple of seeds in each indentation, water, and place in a sunny windowsill. Chart the seedlings' progress with your kids. Click here to learn how to do it.
— Caroline Lange
Mason Jar Money Bank
Teach Your kids the value of the dollar while having fun. With puffy paint, glitter and glue they can make their own personalized money bank. Have them do chores during the summer and let them save up for an extra special treat before school starts. Click here for the tutorial.
Boxed Play Kitchen
Happen to have a ton of old boxes laying around? Have the kids make their own play kitchen! Using markers and paint, turn a box into a microwave, stove and refrigerator. With fabric you can help them make curtains and oven mitts. Not only will they have fun building it, they'll be entertained for hours playing with it.
Popsicle Stick Puppets
Don't throw out those ice pop sticks! Clean them off, grab some paint and googly eyes and you and your kids can sit down and create adorable DIY puppets. Take it a step further and use an old shoebox and construction paper to help them create a stage. They'll work on play lines all afternoon!
Homemade Bubbles
With a drink dispenser and soapy water, you can have a never ending vat of bubbles. A few pipe cleaners later and you'll even have the perfect homemade wands!
Make a Bird Feeder
If the little ones love nature, have them feed their furry and flying friends! String cereal like Cheerios onto pipe cleaners and hang them from the trees. The birds will love it and the kids will get a kick out of watching them eat it!
Balloon Ping Pong
Gluing popsicle sticks to the backs of paper plates can help you create easy paddles to play balloon ping pong. Have the kids decorate the plates to their liking and once they've dried let the epic balloon battle begin! Click here for instructions.
DIY Sidewalk Chalk
With a few kitchen staples your kids can make their own sidewalk chalk! All you need is cornstarch, food color and a silicone baking pan and your kids will have the art supplies they need to decorate your sidewalk. Click here for instructions.
Bottlecap Flowers
One dimensional painting is so boring! Have the kids paint flower stems and inside of pedals, have them glue bottle caps around their drawing.
Marshmallow Rainbows
Do your kids love Lucky Charms? Have them take an afternoon picking the colored marshmallows out for a fun art project. They can use the marshmallows and some glue to make a colorful rainbow!
Fork Art
Using plastic utensils and paint, your kids can make everything from a lion's mane to green grass. They's love the cool designs they can make and will feel extra crafty with this neat little trick! Click here for the instructions.
Tin Can Robot
After you're done making them canned soup for lunch,, don't toss the tin in your recycling bin. With glue, pom-poms and and any other crafting supplies the kids can make miniature robots they can play with for hours to come. Just make sure that the can doesn't have any sharp edges.
Rainbow Macaroni Mobile
If you have an extra box of elbow macaroni, you can have a crafting session that will keep them entertained for a few hours. Paint the dry macaroni an array of colors and string them up to a fluffy cotton ball decorated paper plate and you'll have a cute cloud and rainbow mobile. Click here to get the instructions