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Guest Post by Jennifer Richards

How to Create a Paper Bag Kite

The summer provides a great time to spend time with your kids. I found a guide on the Factory Direct Craft blog that explains how to create a paper bag kite and this project looks like a lot of fun. I am going to make this with my kids because it looks like a lot of fun. I have always enjoyed crafting and my kids seem to enjoy it as well. There are many great craft ideas that are perfect for kids of any age.

The necessary craft supplies for this project are a Paper bag, Clear tape, Scissors, Sock yarn or kite string, and a Yarn needle.

1. Trim the top of the bag until is it even and then remove the seam from the bottom of the kite. There should be a flat paper tube remaining.

2. It is now time to decorate the bag. Your kids will love this part.

3. Cut the center of the tube close to the seam

4. On a flap in the center of the kite, add 3 layers of tape. These should be on top of each other.

5. Next, you will need 2 feet of yarn. With the yarn needle, thread the yarn you just cut through the tape about 1/3 inch from the edge and make a knot.

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the other remaining flap.

7. Tie a not at the center of the yarn and you should then attach a piece of string. This will be used to fly the kite.

8. Create the tails by taping 10-14 inch sections of string to the flaps along the bottom.

9. You are ready to fly your kite after adding some extra string to the loop.

Crafts for Toddlers are always fun and this bunny rabbit is sure to be a hit in your house.  What I love about this craft is that they can create most of it themselves.  Add a popsicle stick to it to make it a puppet.  Then you can create a few rabbits or other animals and have a little show!

Supplies:

• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Markers
• Construction paper
• Cotton balls
• Plate
• Stapler
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Draw a mouth and eyes with the marker
2. Glue Googly eyes over the eyes
3. Glue cotton balls in a circle around plate and for nose
4. Cut a circle out of pink construction paper, glue to nose cottonball
5. Cut ears out of white construction paper.  Staple to rabbits head

Have fun!!

photo credit: Photocapy

This is one craft that your kids will surely love and enjoy. This will develop their creativity and resourcefulness. As they grow taller and stronger, they are attracted to moving objects.  They are also becoming more aware of their mobility.   Making a pull-along mini-cart would satisfy their curiosity and active desire to be in control of things.  Moreover, this craft can be a learning activity in which the children can identify colors and shapes.

What you will need:

• Drinking/plastic cup
• Colored cardboard
• Two pieces of pencils
• Modeling clay
• String
• Pair of scissors

How to do it:

1. Place your drinking/plastic cup on the colored cardboard and trace the base with a pencil to make four wheels.
2. Cut the four wheels out of the cardboard.
3. Push the two pencils through the two wheels respectively. Be careful in handling the pointed tip to avoid piercing or hurting yourself.
4. Attach the pencil on each wheel and seal it with modeling clay to prevent it from loosening.
5. Make a small rectangular box with an open top using your colored cardboard. You can use a different color this time to make the body of the mini-cart distinct from the wheels.
6. Make four holes on the sides of the box, two on each side.
7. Push the pencils with wheels through the holes.
8. Attach the remaining two wheels on the two pencils, respectively and fixing it with modeling clay.
9. Tie a string on one end of the box, just long enough for your kid to pull it along.
10. Now that you have a pull-along mini-cart, ask your child to give it a name to make it more meaningful for him.

photo credit: katekillet

Toddlers always enjoy making sounds, be it by just tapping objects or anything they can get their hands on. Teach your kids early to develop their love for music.

One simple musical instrument that you can do with your toddlers is a musical shaker made of ordinary things or recycled materials. Surely, it will be enjoyable for the kids to make, and play with!  To make their shaker colorful, the kids can add decorations on it.

Supplies:

• Two pieces of used plastic cups
• Dried lentils or beans
• Tape
• Colored construction paper (optional)
• Crayons or markers
• Glue
• Pair of scissors

Steps:

1. Clean up the cups very thoroughly.
2. Ask your child to take the dried lentils or beans and place them inside the cup.
3. Take the other cup and place it on top of the cup with dried lentils or beans.
4. Attach them with a tape (make it tight, so it doesn’t break open)
5. Take out your colored construction paper and wrap it around the shaker.
6. Assist your child in decorating the shaker with crayons or markers.
7. Ask your kids to shake it up and down, and side to side to make sounds.

Now, play the CD of your kids’ favorite songs and sing with them while demonstrating how you enhance the rhythm of the music using the musical shakers that you all crafted.  Add some fun dancing and surely the whole family would find great time and bonding.

photo credit: thebittenword.com

Kids will have fun making animals out of ordinary materials which can be found at home. An example of this is the Potato Porcupine which your kids can easily do with your assistance.

The materials are commonly found in the kitchen, or bought in stores or groceries near you. They are not very expensive, so you can make several of this if you like. You can use different sizes of potato if you want to create, maybe, a family of porcupine. Each porcupine requires one potato only.

Materials needed:

• Small potato (uncooked)
• Craft sticks (or you can use popsicle sticks used for ice cream)
• Two wiggle eyes
• Toothpicks
• Glue
• Black marker

How to make it:

1. Use a small uncooked potato for this project. Do not peel.
2. Break the craft sticks into half, making sure that they are equal in length.
3. Push two half sticks into the bottom of the potato for legs, and another two at the sides for arms.
4. Glue the two wiggle eyes on the front of the potato. Draw a nose and a mouth using the black marker to complete the face of your porcupine.
5. Stick the toothpicks around the potato to serve as pins of your porcupine.