Good Green Fun: Top 3 Crafts For Kids

The school holidays – or even the weekend – can seem like a very long time when you have little ones to keep entertained. Quiet nights watching family movies and day trips to the beach work well enough, but they aren’t an everyday occurrence. So how do you keep little hands and minds busy? If you face the challenge of a rainy day or you need to come up with quieter activities then the easiest option is toys. If you don’t fancy buying lots of cheap, flimsy plastic toys then invest in some traditional and eco-friendly wooden toys like those found in our children’s party bag fillers range. Alternatively, have your child make their own toys by recycling and up-cycling items around the house such as yoghurt pots, kitchen roll tubes and old boxes. Of course, there are other, more hands-on ways to keep your little ones occupied.

For the days your child is feeling more artsy, why not try out green crafting projects? Not only will the use of environmentally-friendly materials be good for the environment, but it will raise your little one’s awareness of how (and why) to be green, as well as encourage them to get in touch with their creative side. Here are three excellent ways you and your little one can be creative and enjoy some good, green fun together.

Kitchen Cupboard Play Dough

Anything messy is generally a winner with kids, which is why play dough is such a popular material. It can be mixed and moulded to their heart’s content and with this recipe for homemade play dough, you will always have a constant stock to hand, right from your kitchen cupboard. You can even make kitchen cupboard clay, for more serious sculpting.

Homemade Pavement Chalk

Whether your little one plans on making a Hopscotch obstacle course or a huge driveway mural, pavement chalk is a surefire way to keep them entertained. They can be creative, feel a little rebellious colouring the pavement and the best part is, you can wash it away at the end of the day. Kids (and grown ups) will even have fun making their own pavement chalk with this great recipe.  To make your own plaster of Paris see here.

DIY Wind Chimes

As well as mess, children adore making noise so what better way to keep them occupied than getting them to make their own noisy wind chimes? A wind chime project will require adult supervision but it is a great craft to bond over. You can make a wind chime out of just about anything; recycled cans can be painted or embellished, shells can be collected and strung together and old bottle tops (both metal and plastic) can be decorated and strung together. For more decorative wind chimes you could incorporate intricately decorated recycled yoghurt pots or even some Little Cherry compostable party cups. For ideas see this shell wind chime and this wind chime inspiration board.  

For more ideas on what green crafts kids can get up to, check out this Pinterest board for inspiration.

These are just three of the fantastic ideas out there for good, green fun. There are all sorts of art projects and homemade items you can do in an environmentally friendly way. For example, you could take a family walk and gather natural materials like fallen leaves and bark to make 3D all natural collage or gather up fallen flower heads to dry out and turn into pot pourri. The possibilities really are endless, so make the most of the outdoors and encourage little imaginations to be green and creative.