Posts Tagged ‘rainy day craft’
Dinosaur Park
Posted on: July 22, 2009
(It’s just nice to have an easy craft up your sleeve when you need something to entertain the kids. This is easy, mess-free, and fun. The boys loved it. This is good with young toddlers on up.)
Things you need:
- Green paper (or scrapbook paper that looks like grass)
- Dinosaur stickers
- Tree or rock stickers (optional)
- Crayons (optional)
Give the child the green paper. Have the child decorate it with dinosaur stickers, creating a whole dinosaur world.
Adding stickers
Working on a dino world
The child can draw more scenery or add stickers.
Finished projects
Pirate Flags
Posted on: July 21, 2009
(Here’s another craft we did at Evan’s theme fourth birthday party. I figured this was easier and less messy than giving the children fabric and fabric paint. This is an easy craft that is great for a group of children as well as young toddlers. I recommend foam stickers, but you can use regular stickers and markers. This craft is not messy, is easy, and all the children enjoyed this craft. We have already made a second set of flags because the boys enjoyed them so much.)
Things you need:
- Foam sheet (either black or red)
- Pirate foam stickers
- Pirate stickers
- Markers
Give the child the foam sheet.
Foam sheet with a coin foam sticker
Let the child decorate the flag with the stickers and markers.
Decorating the flag
This is a great time to talk about how pirate flags were to scare merchant ships so that the pirates could take over the ship without a fight.
Evan's Pirate Flag
Sean's Pirate Flag
Egg Carton Turtle
Posted on: July 1, 2009
(Another egg carton craft. After making spiders, caterpillars, and bugs {I’ll get to those at another time}, I wanted to make something other than a bug for once. So I came up with this turtle. This is another easy craft where you can pick how you want to decorate the carton. The boys loved making them and playing with them. The first time I didn’t even want to throw out the turtles until an unfortunate smooshing accident. Remember Styrofoam egg cartons cannot be colored or painted on, so use cardboard.)
Things you need:
- Cardboard egg carton
- Scissors
- Crayons, markers, and/or paint
- Pen
- Green construction paper or green craft foam
- Scissors
- Glue
- Optional: things to glue on to decorate the shell
Cut out a cup from the egg carton.
Egg carton cup (again)
Trace four feet, using a dime, on the green construction paper. Make a “U” shade using the dime for the head, and make an obelisk shape for the tail.
The body parts
Cut out the shapes. Have the child draw eyes on the head. Have the child decorate the shell.
So I used the photo. We made them on the same day.
Have the child glue on the feet on each corner of the cup.
Adding the feet
Then glue the head between two feet, and glue the tail on the opposite end of the head.
The turtle brothers
One of the first turtles
Easy Egg Carton Bug
Posted on: June 30, 2009
(Another favorite craft medium of mine is the egg carton. You can make lots of things with it. You can paint them, color them, glue them. But you have to get the cardboard kind because you can’t do anything with the Styrofoam kind. I like to let the boys’ imagination run wild sometimes, so I let them make any kind of “bug” they wanted. We have painted our bugs in the past, but I let them use markers and then dive into my goody box of randomness. Evan chose to use little tiles from a stepping stone kit.)
Things you need:
- Cardboard egg carton
- Scissors
- Markers, crayons, and/or paint
- Googly eyes
- glue
- Any decoration you want to use (shells, buttons, marbles, noodles, etc)
Cut a cup from the egg carton.
Egg carton cups
Have the child color the egg carton cup.
Coloring the master piece
With the opening down, have the child glue the eyes on the carton.
It has eyes!
Have the child glue on extra decorations.
Evan's is the right one, the "lady bug." Sean's is the left, going for minimalism
A Better Pompom Frog
Posted on: June 29, 2009
(After the sad misery of a failed project, I worked out a better frog. It took me a few days, but I came up with a better idea. The boys love these frogs just as much as the Ugliest Frogs in the World. Maybe more because the Ugliest Frogs in the World have taken a vacation, trying to find out where everything went totally wrong. This was an easy craft, and depending on the gluing skills, it could be relatively mess-free.)
Things you need:
- 2 in green pompom
- 2 small green pompoms
- 2 googly eyes
- Green craft foam
- Glue (school or craft)
- A pen
- Scissors
Glue a googly eye on each of the small green pompoms. Allow them to dry.
Who's looking at you, kid?
Cut out a circle out of the green foam to make a lily pad. I used the top of the juice can to make my circle. Cut out a triangle out of the circle.
The lily pads
Have the child glue the 2in green pompom. Have the child glue the frog eyes to the top of the 2in pompom.
I can see! I can see!
Sitting like two frogs on a log
The Ugliest Frog in the World
Posted on: June 29, 2009
(The boys loved them. They loved making them. They loved playing with them. I found them to be the ugliest frogs in the world, which is why I give this craft thumbs down. You know what you get when you make eyes by using a small pompom and then glue a mini pompom on top? You get what looks like white breasts with green nipples. I secretly threw these away and came up with my own version of the craft, which I’ll post on the next post. If you can figure out a better looking frog, let me know.)
Things you need:
- 3in green pompom
- 2in green pompom
- 2 small white pompoms
- 2 green or black mini pompoms
- Green craft foam
- Glue (school or craft)
- Scissors
Cut out of the green foam two frog feet. I used a quarter to trace around and added three triangles to the top.
I know. They're ugly feet.
Have the child glue the 3in pompom to the feet. Have the child glue the 2in pompom to the first one, making the body and head. On the top of the head, have the child glue the white pompoms to make eyes.
Gluing the eyes
Have the child glue the mini pompoms to the small white ones.
The Ugliest Frog in the World. (I'm a freak of crafting!)
Ladybug, ladybug
Posted on: June 23, 2009
(I always liked pompom animals. They seem so much fun, so cute. Evan likes carrying them around and naming them. So I decided we needed to make lady bug ones. This was an easy, simple craft that both boys enjoyed, which turned out to have no mess.)
Things you need:
- Red 1 in pompom (or 2in)
- Black mini pompoms
- Black marker
- Googly eyes
- Glue
Have the child make black dots on the red pompom. The child might have to swirl around the marker to make a good size dot.
Making spots
Glue on the eyes.
He can see!
Then glue the mini pompoms on the top to make antennas.
Now he is a true bug.
Evan decided he needed to decorate his bug more, so he added a mini red pompom for an earing.
The ladybugs
Plastic Egg Heads
Posted on: June 22, 2009
(I always liked those cute little egg shell planters. I once read that cutting grass was an easy way for children to learn how to cut. So I combined the two projects. Since I was going to let Evan cut the grass, I figured I better use plastic egg cups. Luckily these ones even had holes. The boys loved doing this because they got to color with markers and play with the dirt. How awesome is that!)
Things you need:
- Egg carton
- Plastic Easter egg shells
- Markers
- Dirt
- Grass seed
- Spoon
- Water
Take the plastic eggs and have the child draw faces on the eggs. (I wanted to add googley eyes, but Evan nixed that idea.)
Decorating eggs
Place the eggs in the egg carton, so that they cannot be tipped over.
See, mine had a face.
Have the child place some dirt in the eggs with the spoon.
There's a reason I suggested a spoon
Have the child put in enough grass seed to cover the area.
You might want to do this outside
Have the child put on a slim covering of dirt. (Um, we missed that step. We had too much dirt to begin with.)
Grow, baby, grow
Let the child water the plants and take care of them. (Unfortunately we only had three blades of grass grow. We’re redoing this planting experiment.)
Dollar Necklace Kits
Posted on: June 22, 2009
I picked up a couple of bead necklace kits because they were a buck and wondered what it could hurt. Some days I just can’t find a craft I like to do with the boys that I have all the materials. I think this would be a great activity for older kids but not toddler or preschool age. The problem is that the picture beads (the skull and cross bones and the monkey) didn’t have big enough holes. I had to push the elastic thread through the hole with a needle, and I’m just not ready to let my almost-four-year-old handle a needle. The big colored beads were perfect for little fingers. But next time I want to make necklaces with the boys, I’m going to spring for more expensive beads.
The back of the packaging/directions. So damn simple.
Cool looking but not for little fingers
Rain Painting, not sprinkling
Posted on: June 15, 2009
(When it rained the other day, I was so excited because I’d wanted to do this craft forever. I had to wait until warmer weather. It also turns out it should be raining, not sprinkling. It did not work out at all. I’ll try next time it rains. I got the craft at Family Fun.)
Things you need:
- Heavy paper plate
- Food coloring
- Rain
Drop several drops of food coloring on the plate. Take the plate outside and let the rain make patters with the food coloring.
Food coloring on the plate- check
Out in the rain
Still doesn't look like art
Still looks ugly
Faemom Crafts for Toddlers, Preschoolers and Kids 