Crafts parents and kids can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep children entertained.
Here are some recommended craft ideas that parents and kids can enjoy together!
When you hear “crafts,” you might think of summer vacation homework.
But crafts are also perfect for everyday play and passing the time at home!
With common household items like plastic bottles, milk cartons, cardboard, and clay, you can make all kinds of fun creations.
You can have a blast making them with your child, play with what you’ve made, or even exchange your creations as gifts with each other…
You’re sure to share lots of fun moments!
These ideas will captivate both adults and kids, so be sure to enjoy them together as a family!
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Crafts parents and children can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep kids busy (361–370)
papier-mâché
Papier-mâché ornaments, whose handmade texture has an indescribable charm, are also popular as folk crafts.
To make papier-mâché, you paste paper onto a clay or similar base, let it dry, remove it, and then finish by painting it.
First, shape your preferred base with clay or another material, then tear washi or newspaper into pieces and paste them on with a glue made by mixing woodworking glue and water, applying it with a brush.
Once the paper dries, take out the clay inside and color the piece with acrylic paint or similar.
And there you have it—your one-and-only, original papier-mâché creation.
milk carton car
Here’s an idea for a milk carton car that you can actually ride and enjoy.
This project uses a plant stand with casters and milk cartons to make a vehicle.
Once the base is complete, cover it with felt and decorate it.
The visual design is up to you, but it’s a good idea to use popular characters as motifs.
You could also model it after an Anpanman car.
By the way, the plant stand with casters can be purchased at a 100-yen shop.
It’s a very cost-effective idea, don’t you think?
straw flute
Let’s make a whistle that goes “pew!” using a straw! All you need is a wide straw and a pair of scissors.
First, cut the straw to a length of 5 cm and flatten one end.
Then, cut the flattened end into a roughly triangular shape, making sure it’s symmetrical.
And that’s it—done! Put the cut end in your mouth and blow, and it will make a “poo!” sound.
If you gently soften the cut part by flexing it a bit, it’s easier to get a sound.
Origami kaleidoscope
Many children like origami, but most creations are either finished once folded or simply used for decoration.
This origami, however, is something you can play with after folding.
By folding small pieces of origami paper into heart shapes and connecting them, you can make a kaleidoscope that flips and changes its look! It might be a bit challenging for very young children, but folding together while explaining the steps could work well.
Try folding hearts in various colors and make a colorful kaleidoscope!
Sparkling kaleidoscope made from a milk carton
Let’s make a sparkling, beautiful kaleidoscope using a milk carton! You’ll need a milk carton, black paper, plastic sheets, and items you want to put inside the kaleidoscope such as beads.
First, join rectangular plastic sheets to form a triangular prism.
Do the same with smaller plastic sheets to make a small triangular prism, then attach it to the larger triangular prism that has a cap on one end.
Put your favorite beads into this section and cap it the same way as before.
Next, cut off the spout and bottom of the milk carton and open it up.
Line the inside of the milk carton with black paper and form it into a triangular prism.
Finally, attach the plastic piece with the beads and the viewing hole, and you’re done!
Egg carton marble drop
This is a marble drop game you play by tilting an egg carton.
Separate the top and bottom of the carton, and cut paper to match the size of the carton.
Use scissors to cut out holes for the marbles to fall through, then decorate freely with pens or stickers.
Place marbles inside the carton, insert the paper, and staple the top and bottom of the carton together.
Cover the edges with wide masking tape, and your reusable marble drop game is ready! Try adjusting the difficulty by making the holes smaller or reducing the number of holes.
Crafts parents and children can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep kids entertained (371–380)
withdrawal; drawer
How about making some drawers—an idea that’s super practical? First, prepare some empty tissue boxes.
The number of shelves (tiers) will be half the number of boxes you have, so gather as many as you like.
Then combine them so that one box forms the side panel and the other becomes the drawer part.
After that, stack them and attach handles to finish.
You can find handles at 100-yen shops.
You can decorate them if you like, but it’s also recommended to keep the original box designs and turn them into drawers as-is.