Crafts parents and kids can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep children entertained.

Paper wind chime

(Drawing paper) Easy and cute summer decoration: How to make a wind chime [DIY]

How about making a paper wind chime—one of the iconic symbols of summer—using construction paper? It’s perfect for a summer parent-child craft project, and since it’s made of paper, it’s great for times when you’re concerned about the sound of a traditional wind chime.

First, prepare eight long, narrow strips of construction paper in your favorite colors.

Apply glue to the centers, cross them in a crisscross pattern, stack them, and curve them into a circle to form the bell (umbrella) part of the wind chime.

Then just connect the bell and the tanzaku (hanging strip) with thread, and you’re done! You can customize the tanzaku by drawing illustrations or adding stickers.

Threading beads onto the string can also create a cool, breezy look.

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Disposable chopstick holder

Simple! A chopstick storage box: just keep stacking disposable chopsticks. Great for a summer vacation craft!

Here’s a chopstick accessory holder that’s perfect for a summer vacation craft.

Prepare 12 pairs of disposable chopsticks, glue, and colored construction paper.

Split the chopsticks in half, then use scissors to cut all the way around the midpoint to make them half-length pieces.

With 12 pairs, you’ll get 48 sticks.

Cut the colored paper into a square, apply glue to the left and right sides, and attach chopsticks; then flip it over, rotate it, and glue chopsticks onto the sides that don’t have them yet.

Apply glue where the chopsticks overlap and stack the sticks one by one.

Make sure they stack up straight.

Let it dry thoroughly, and it’s done!

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mayumi

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jack-in-the-box

Pop-up Surprise! Sparkling Jack-in-the-Box Made from a Milk Carton

A great craft for families with toddlers: a jack-in-the-box.

It’s easy to make with a milk carton, rubber bands, and a candy tin or similar container.

First, cut the milk carton body into several rings and make small slits in each ring to hook the rubber bands.

Hook one rubber band onto each ring.

Then crush the milk carton rings so the bands are stretched and pack them into the tin—done! When you open the lid, the milk carton rings will spring out with a pop.

There are lots of fun ways to customize it!

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Moving paper-cup penguin

[Craft] Let's Make a Moving Penguin with a Paper Cup [How-To]

Shall we make a moving penguin using a paper cup? Draw eyes on the paper cup with a marker, make a beak and flippers from colored construction paper, and attach them with double-sided tape.

Prepare a battery and a rubber band, and tape the rubber band lengthwise along the battery with cellophane tape.

When you tape it, leave a little extra rubber band over the + and – ends of the battery.

Turn the penguin upside down, make two slits on the left and right, hook the battery’s rubber band into the slits, and secure it with tape to finish! When you twist the battery, the recoil will make the penguin move adorably!

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sasashina

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Making cotton ball lights

Make your room cute! How to make cotton ball lights. How to make cotton balls.

The cotton balls that make everyone go, “How do they make those?” are real show-stoppers.

Let’s make charming cotton ball lights by placing lights inside cotton balls.

The trick to making the cotton balls is to wrap yarn, dampened with glue, around a small polka-dot balloon.

Once the glue dries, pop the balloon and only the cotton sphere remains.

String together a bunch of them, add lights, and you’re done.

You can even use the same method to make chocolate balls.

If you enjoy home economics/crafts, give that a try too!

Crossbow made from cardboard

[Minecraft] I Tried Making a Crossbow Out of Cardboard! [MINECRAFT] Templates & Blueprints

Introducing a fun parent–child craft: you can make a Minecraft-style crossbow out of cardboard without any special tools! The charm is that you can build it using items you already have at home, like cardboard, glue, rubber bands, and toothpicks.

It may take patience to glue on the many small square pieces of cardboard needed to recreate the in-game crossbow, but work together and enjoy the process.

The decorative design looks cool, and you can actually shoot arrows with it—perfect for showing off to your friends.

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Plastic-bottle kendama

Let’s make it with an empty bottle! R-1 Kendama that brings out strength

If you have small bottles at home, like those for lactic acid drinks, try making a kendama! After you make it, you can enjoy playing with it.

Using a smaller bottle makes it easy for little hands to hold, making it perfect as a toy.

Since this craft involves using a utility knife and scissors, adults should assist according to the child’s age.

The cut edge of the bottle can be dangerous, so please cover it with vinyl tape or similar.

You can also seal decorations inside the handle or decorate it with washi tape—so cute! It would be fun to make a few and hold a parent–child kendama tournament, too.

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