Craft, Creative Ideas and Projects For Kids

Ideas, tutorials and DIY projects to inspire children. Banish boredom and get your kids creating and making.
Weekend and holiday projects for kids and the young at heart.
Kids love handcraft, making and creating and if given the chance will choose real activities over TV and computer games!
For even more creative ideas and activities head over to Action Pack

Action Pack :: Elements – WATER

by kath_red on February 28, 2013

in Action Pack, Kids Crafts, Newsletter

2013 Elements: WATER edition

Cover image: Jo Newman  and her children make natural watercolour paint

The first issue for 2013 is part of our Elements themed year, and begins with WATER. So versatile and so necessary for life. In this issue we have 15 contributors, and more than 20 projects, these wonderful contributors from around the world walk us through arts and crafts, science, experimentation, adventure, cooking and play — all related to water.

  1. :: Jo Newman  and her children make natural watercolour paints & salt from the sea
  2. :: Susan Schwake & her students show us some water colour techniques
  3. :: Vicki Smith makes paper mache bowls with her students
  4. :: Joanie Gorman and a bunch of kids make a fleet of boats & cork sailors
  5. :: Marcie Cuff and her daughter send a message in a bottle
  6. :: Kathreen Ricketson & family [that’s me] investigate ocean flotsam & jetsam, make some ephemeral beach collections & experiment with sea jellies
  7. :: Gina Vida and her children make two ice projects
  8. :: Helen Bird shows us a fun wet felted project
  9. :: Natalie Kramer  experiments with water tension four different ways
  10. :: Jo Ebisujima and her son experiment with water density & quiz us on water usage
  11. :: Alex Kelly and her kids go fishing & learn a lot about fish while using a Japanese printing technique
  12. :: Melissa Wastney bakes water crackers
  13. :: Lucy Hordern and her daughter create a water bottle rainbow
  14. :: Dawn & Wesley Smith make a water rocket
  15. :: and Jackie Boucher has designed a water themed word search & colouring page
This is an e-magazine – you will receive a download link to a high quality printable pdf [you can save the file to your hard drive and access it, read, and print it anytime and you can view the pdf on a Tablet or iPad].
Image: Joanie Gorman‘s cork sailors and pirates

FREE PROJECT EXCERPT

Make these cork sailors and pirates to sail on your boat (project also included in this Action Pack) – DOWNLOAD 1-page PDF here.

Image: Natalie Kramer  experiments with water tension

Image: Helen Bird shows us a fun wet felted project

Image: Gina Vida‘s ice lantern

Image: Lucy Hordern‘s water bottle rainbow 

When tackling these projects be sure to:

  1. Ask permission first.
  2. Organise your area, use equipment safely and follow the safety advice.
  3. Prepare and organise your space, ingredients and materials beforehand.
  4. Be safe and careful when handling heat and knives and sharp instruments.
  5. Clean up afterwards.
  6. Have fun.

Important: After purchase you will be directed to a page where you can download the PDF. And the pdf magazine will also be automatically delivered via e-mail as soon as your payment is received. The e-mail you receive will include a link to download the file directly to your computer. Please note that the link will only allow you to access the file for a limited period (150 hours or 5 tries), so please make sure to download and save the file on your own computer as soon as you receive it. Lost files may be replaced for a period of 30 days following purchase. Very occasionally your email provider may mark this email as junk, so if you do not receive the email, then first check your junk mail, as a precaution download the file from the webpage directly after purchase.

Purchase in the shop

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For more kids craft, creative ideas and activities go to the Action Pack website

Book: Side by Side

by kath_red on December 10, 2012

in Books, Kids Crafts

Side by Side: 20 Collaborative Projects for Crafting with Your Kids by Tsia Carson

Tsia Carson is the force behind SuperNaturale.com – an old fave crafty website — and her previous book, Craftivity: 40 Projects for the DIY Lifestyle (2006) was one of the first craft books I ever reviewed here on whipup — so I am pretty excited to tell you about her latest offering — a really gorgeous book full of unique projects for crafty collaboration with your kids.

The three sections of this book are really interestingly grouped -

The first chapter is ‘Collaborations’, projects where you and your kid, or groups of kids, make something as a group, everyone participates and feel ownership of the project.

The second chapter is ‘Companions’, pairs of projects that the both of you (child and adult) can happily do side by side, each with their own project but using the same resources, making a mess together and helping each other when needed, but each project is separate and fairly open ended and easily achieved by each person.

The last chapter ‘Family field trips’ is absolutely delightful. Projects that are for outside and for groups or families to do together. Not requiring special skills, just enthusiasm and lots of hands.

I really like this book. It is quite different from a lot of craft books for kids and parents, I like the collaborative projects and I love the unique perspective. I am very happy to see Tsia back in the world of books.

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For more kids craft, creative ideas and activities go to the Action Pack website

Book: Blog tour :: Imagine Childhood

by kath_red on December 3, 2012

in Books, Kids Crafts

I am very happy to be participating in the Imagine Childhood blog tour. For my stop on the tour I asked Sarah a few questions about her philosophy and the book:

Imagine Childhood: Exploring the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play – 25 Projects that spark curiosity and adventure by Sarah Olmsted. Roost Books; (October 16, 2012).

1. You discuss in your book the magic of childhood — Can you explain a little about how you ‘build’ your world of wonder? How you create that magical world for children and how the children you know respond to that world?

I don’t think it is so much about “building” a world of wonder as it is about opening yourself up to the one that we are already living in. Experiencing magic can be as simple as a subtle shift in your perspective or actions. Taking the time to notice the birds in your neighborhood, the intricate patterns of a spider web, the clouds in the sky, can instantly create a sense of wonder wherever you are. The same principles are true in regards to creating a magical world for children. The space that children naturally inhabit is an enchanted one. Every object or interaction has as much potential to be magical as mundane. All that is needed to put the focus on the fantastic is a willingness to jump into that world with them, to chase fairies through the park, to look for magic stones at the beach… to see the world through a child’s eyes and join them on their journey.

Perhaps one of the most heartening aspects of writing this book was seeing just how close children (and adults for that matter) keep the world of magic and how quickly and wholeheartedly they will engage with it. I have worked with, or designed for, children for the better part of my life, but still, the power of a few sticks, some string, and a healthy dose of imagination never ceases to amaze me. When given the space to explore the universe of their imagination, children engage the world with openness and see it for all of its limitless potential.

2. The projects in your book are built upon layers of experimentation and innovation, each project is a guide with lots of tangents of possibility, can you tell us about this trial and error approach to your projects for children?

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn”
~ Benjamin Franklin

The trial and error framework for many of the projects in this book is based on a sentiment very similar to the quote above.  That in order to really learn something,  you have to engage with it, and nothing is more engaging than experimentation. The fluid structure of experimentation allows children to experience moments of discovery in whatever they happen to be working with and it encourages them to follow those discoveries wherever they may lead. This sort of open ended approach can be fun because it allows children to come back to projects or activities again and again without ever repeating the same experience. Since the focus is on the process rather than the end result, innovations and tangential explorations can be just as important and fruitful as the original activity.


3. You use a lot of natural materials in your projects — and if you are not directly using them then you are inspired by them. Can you tell us how this connection with nature is important for your inspiration and for children’s play?

When you really look into it, most of the materials that we use on a daily basis have a root in the natural world. Whether it is a pigment made from plants or minerals, or a steel cable inspired by the strength found in spider silk, the origin of nearly everything we touch can be connected with nature in some way. I think I am attracted to natural materials for exactly this reason. They are the building blocks of the world we live in, from mountains to skyscrapers, color wheels to computers.

My emphasis on using simple natural materials with children follows a similar logic. That by starting out with the fundamentals children can learn how to build the world of their dreams, one stick raft, one tree fort at a time. Also, procuring natural material means engaging with nature, which is never a bad thing in my opinion.

Thank you Kathreen for sharing your wonderful space with me today!

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For more kids craft, creative ideas and activities go to the Action Pack website

Action Pack Magazine: Family Apothecary

by kath_red on November 15, 2012

in Action Pack, Home+Decor, Kids Crafts, Newsletter

NEW edition of Action Pack Magazine – for EVERYONE!

Family Apothecary – 50+ pages of salves, lotions, balms and crafty projects!

This is an e-magazine – you will receive a download link to a high quality printable pdf [you can save the file to your hard drive and access it, read, and print it anytime and you can view the pdf on a Tablet or iPad].

This issue is pretty amazing – if I do say so myself :) My family and I have had such a lot of fun experimenting and trying out recipes and new (to us) ingredients. I have really enjoyed the process of removing a lot of chemical products from our lives – toothpaste and deodorants for starters (something I have been wanting to do for a long time), and I have loved the smells of herbs and essences pervading the home.

Apothecary: 

  • An historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses ‘materia medica’.
  • A person who dispensed medicines derived from herbs, plants and roots.
  • One who practices herbalism and sometimes alchemy as well; Ancient word for “pharmacist”.

In our Family Apothecary Action Pack Magazine you’ll find:

[all using herbs and commonly found simple ingredients like beeswax, olive oil and bicarb soda (plus a few special products too -- like coconut oil and kaolin clay).]

  • Home herbal medicinal recipes (salves and cold remedies)
  • Eco-home cleaning and freshening ideas (natural cleaning products and washing recipes)
  • Eco beauty treatments (lip balms, creams and hair tonics)
  • Natural personal products (toothpaste and deodorant)

This is an e-magazine – you will receive a download link to a high quality printable pdf [which can also be viewed on a Tablet or iPad].

As well as detailed step-by-step how-to’s you’ll also find a slew of additional tips, ideas and alternative recipes for making some wonderful natural body, home and medicinal products for the whole family — all are easy enough for older kids to try but I know YOU will want to get stuck into this too.

PLUS there are sewing projects – eye mask, sleeping pillow, heat pack and lavender sachets (and more) which are all very easy to make and include detailed instructions.

And there is MORE … Each chapter has fact sheets highlighting some of the products that are used throughout, as well as a printable herbal guide AND each chapter has a page of printable gift tags too!

This is an e-magazine – you will receive a download link to a high quality printable pdf [which can also be viewed on a Tablet or iPad].

Important: The pdf magazine will be automatically delivered via e-mail as soon as your payment is received. The e-mail you receive will include a link to download the file directly to your computer. Please note that the link will only allow you to access the file for a limited period (150 hours or 5 tries), so please make sure to download and save the file on your own computer as soon as you receive it. Lost files may be replaced for a period of 30 days following purchase.

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For more kids craft, creative ideas and activities go to the Action Pack website

Interview with Jean Van’t Hul from The Artful Parent

by kath_red on October 23, 2012

in Books, Kids Crafts

Jean Van’t Hul lives the mountains of North Carolina and is passionate about children’s art and creativity. She shares her passion and projects on her blog (The Artful Parent) and she has an upcoming book about children’s art coming out soon. I asked Jean a few questions about her Autumn Crafts E-book and discussing her philosophy on children’s creativity.

1. This e-book is aimed at pre-school age – can you tell us a little more about how you engage children becoming creative and keep their attention?

The book is perfect for families with pre-school age children, yes, but also for those with both older and younger children. My three-year-old and seven-year-old daughters enjoyed the activities equally, and I think many of the activities would be engaging for up to pre-teens. Heck, I love most of them myself, and I’m 35!

You can give your children the gift of creativity with encouragement, a few art materials, and the freedom to experiment. It doesn’t take much.

1. Ready access to art materials and tools
2. Encouragement in art and in life
3. An environment where experimentation is encouraged and “mistakes” are okay

If these three ingredients are in place, children are free to be creative in art and that creativity transfers over to play and everyday life as well.

2. You have a new book coming out with Roost – congratulations – are you able to tell us a little about this book – what we can expect and how it came to be?

I would love to! The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill Your Family’s Life with Art and Creativity is a guidebook for parents and teachers who want to encourage their children’s creativity through art. It is filled with our all-time favorite art activities as well as information to inspire and guide parents as they make art a priority in their family life.

The Artful Parent:
• Helps parents set up an art space for their children
• Talks about the arts and crafts supplies they really need (and how to stock their art cupboards without breaking the bank)
• Shares how to talk with their kids constructively about their art (you know, rather than just saying, “that’s nice, dear”)
• And provides more than enough fun art activities to keep families happily creating year round

3. What are you favourite materials and products to use when creating with children? Can you talk a little about setting up a creative space for children?

My favorite materials? The list is so long! I’d say the basics are important and all you really need. There is so much children can do with paints, paper, a few drawing tools, scissors, tape, and some sort of dough such as playdough.

But favorites? Let’s see. We really love colored masking tape in our home. And printed washi tape. The kids use them for all kinds of collage creations, 3-D art, mixed media projects, you name it. I also use both for gift wrap. [Jean's favourite art supplies list.]

Other favorites:

  • Liquid watercolors
  • Glitter paint
  • Glitter glue
  • Glitter (sense a theme here?)
  • Shaving cream (not my favorite, but it’s my kids’ top fave so I have to include it)
  • Model Magic
  • Oil pastels
  • Watercolor crayons

4. Can you talk also about how you have nurtured a creative home and your philosophy when creating with children?

I believe in process-oriented art for children, especially younger children. This means that the process of the art making is more important than the end product. That the art is ultimately open-ended and child-directed. This is pretty much the opposite of what I experienced as a child in grade school where my classmates and I would carefully follow instructions to recreate a teacher-made model of a bunny or snowman or something — cutting out on the dotted line and pasting the eyes on the “x”. Instead, I believe children’s art should be more exploratory in nature — about exploring the materials, different techniques, their growing skill set, and their ideas and feelings.

Having a beautiful end product that you can hang on the wall is great! But it shouldn’t be the whole focus of children’s art. The freedom to explore (and make mistakes) is important to creativity. The books by MaryAnn Kohl (First Art, Scribble Art, Preschool Art, etc) and the books by Susan Striker (Young at Art, Please Touch) both had a big influence on me and my philosophy on children’s art and creativity.

As for a creative home environment, I have made our home as much for our children as for my husband and me. Kid stuff isn’t relegated to one room. We have kid-sized furniture throughout the house, my daughters’ toys and books are in most rooms, and there are spaces for creating throughout the house as well.

Tools and spaces for creative explorations are readily available — I think this is pretty important. The accessibility is age dependent — for example, I kept scissors and choking hazards out of reach when my 3 year old was younger. Now, I continue to keep the permanent markers and some other supplies out of reach to ensure that they are used when I’m ready to supervise. But many of our supplies are accessible for them to use when the desire strikes.

  • There is a child’s table in the main living space where the kids draw or create with playdough.
  • We have a basket of paper and some crayon rocks next to the dining table.
  • We turned a yard sale find into a large chalkboard with a fresh coat of paint a couple years ago.
  • Maia has a desk in her bedroom and she does a fair bit of drawing, cutting, and taping there.

And, as my Artful Parent readers know, we are lucky to have an art studio in our home as well. It started out as a large laundry room, but we’ve turned it into a dedicated art space with art tables, a wall of shelves for art supply storage, and an art drying wall. It’s been wonderful to have, especially for messy art projects, but in the end I think the majority of our family art making happens at our dining table. [More about making space for kids.]

 FREE excerpt 

from Jean’s Autumn Crafts E-book :: Leaf Printed Napkins Project - PDF Download.

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For more kids craft, creative ideas and activities go to the Action Pack website

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