Welcome to a new season of creativity! Life with kids can be a little wild, but that doesn’t mean we can’t squeeze in some fun. These kitchen-table crafts are perfect for busy days when you still want to slow down, laugh, and make something special with your little ones. Grab some supplies, clear a spot, and let’s make some happy messes!
– Hey there, crafty friend! Real quick before we get to the crafts, this post contains affiliate links to supplies we love and actually use. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep our glue sticks stocked and the kitchen table covered in glitter. Thank you!
- Paper Plate Fan
– Why it’s great: Easy setup and endless creativity. Although, this scored moderately high on the chaos scale in our house, so keep that in mind when you’re staring at the paint glob you just poured onto their palette.
– Supplies: Paper plates, acrylic paints and brushes (or markers for less chaos), large popsicle sticks, glue
– How to make it: Let your kiddos design their fans, my toddlers chose a watermelon and once their paper plate is all decorated, either cut or fold in half and sandwich the popsicle stick in between both halves. | Grab Your Supplies Here: paper plates, acrylic paints, paint brushes, jumbo popsicle sticks, glue
- DIY Coffee Filter Flowers
– Why it’s great: Perfect for little hands, simple, and super cheap, you can make a coffee filter flower boutique for the old neighbor lady who gatekeeps her gardening secrets (no, I’m not jealous because she has a green thumb, why would you think that?!
– Supplies: White coffee filters, washable markers, spray bottle of water, pipe cleaners.
– How to make it: Let kids color the coffee filters with markers, then lightly mist them with water to watch the colors blend. Once dry, gather and twist at the center of the filter to form a flower with the pipe cleaner as the stem! | Grab Your Supplies Here: coffee filters, washable markers, pipe cleaners, spray bottles
- Sticker Collage
– Why it’s great: Perfect for fine motor development and kids who are obsessed with stickers… The second child, to be more specific, you know, the same one who is responsible for all the adhesive residue left on your wooden floors from prying off the stickers they didn’t put there.
– Supplies: Sheets of stickers, construction paper or cardboard.
– How to make it: Let toddlers peel (or help them peel) stickers and place them onto paper to create their own unique collage. Join in and make your own collage too, mama! | Grab Your Supplies Here: stickers, more stickers, construction paper
- Painted Rock Creatures
– Why it’s great: Simple and inexpensive outdoor creativity. If your kids are like mine, they will randomly steal the rocks from the playground at their school and come home with their pockets filled because we don’t have any pretty rocks.
– Supplies: Smooth rocks, paint or paint markers for less mess, googly eyes, glue.
– How to make it: Paint rocks as bugs, animals, or silly characters; add googly eyes for extra personality. | Grab Your Supplies Here: rocks, paint markers, gel glue dots
- Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars
– Why it’s great: Turns pretend play into adventure.
– Supplies: Two empty toilet paper rolls or one paper towel roll cut in half, string, tape, stickers, markers.
– How to make it: Tape two rolls together, decorate with stickers or markers, and attach a string “strap.” Great for indoor safaris or if you’re from the Midwest, totally great for teaching ’em young on how to scope out a trophy buck, ole son.
These crafts aren’t about perfection or keeping up with anyone’s Instagram feed. They’re about slowing down, getting a little messy, and finding joy in creativity with your kids, even on busy days. So grab what you have on hand, clear a spot at the kitchen table, and make something your kids will remember far longer than any perfectly folded load of laundry.
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