A little project never hurt anyone. I’ve put together a group of craft and science projects that can help kids of varying ages stretch their imaginations and expand their minds.
ACTIVITY
Bookmarks
You'll Need
- Empty cereal or cracker boxes OR construction paper OR card stock
- Hole puncher
- Ribbon or yarn
- Marker
Instructions
- If using the boxes, cut the seams or cut other parts of the box into
rectangles the length of a book - If using construction paper or card stock, cut into rectangles the
length of a book - Decorate as you wish using markers or other items you might have
at home - Punch a hole in the top and loop yarn or ribbon and tie
ACTIVITY
Bouncy Balls
You'll Need
- 1/2 Cup of Warm Water
- 1 tbsp Borax
- 1-2 tbsp clear or glitter Elmer’s Glue
- Cornstarch
- 2 small cups
Instructions
- In one small cup, combine 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 tbsp borax; mix until completely dissolved adding more water if needed
- In another cup, place your glue (the more glue, the bigger the ball); add food coloring if you wish
- To the glue cup, add 1/2 teaspoon of the borax solution and 1 tbsp cornstarch
- As soon as the glue touches the solution, it will start to harden
- Stir until it becomes virtually impossible to do so
- Take the hardened substance out and begin to mold by hand into a ball
- It'll be a big ole sticky mess but keep molding, squeezing and pinching until it's smooth
- Bounce away
- The ball will go flat or lose its bounce in a few days
- You can reuse the borax solution to make more balls
ACTIVITY
Butterfly Art
You'll Need
- 2 Coffee Filters
- Washable or Mr. Sketch markers
- Pipe cleaners
- Beads (optional)
- Sheet pan
- Spray Bottle filled with water
Instructions
- Place two filters inside each other and flatten on top of sheet pan
- Draw design
- Mist with water (you’re going for a watercolor/tie dye effect)
- Allow to dry complete; separate the filters (there should be a design on each)
- Fold each filter like a fan/accordion
- Stack the fans on top of each other
- Twist a pipe cleaner around the middle so that the two ends point upwards in a big letter V
- Pull the folds apart to reveal your butterfly
ACTIVITY
Hopping Corn
You'll Need
- A clear glass container
- Popcorn kernels
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups of water
- 2 Tbsp. of baking soda
- 6 Tbsp. of white vinegar
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Fill your jar with water and add a couple drops of food coloring.
- Add baking soda and stir well until it is all dissolved.
- Add a small handful of popping corn kernels.
- Add the vinegar and watch the corn start to hop up and down!
Source: http://onetimethrough.com/
ACTIVITY
Lava Lamp
You'll Need
- Empty water bottle
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Food coloring
- Alka-Seltzer tablets
Instructions
- Fill water bottle 2/3 full of vegetable oil
- Fill rest of bottle with water
- Add a few drops of food coloring
- Mix slightly but DO NOT shake
- Break Alka-Seltzer tablet into 4 pieces
- Drop a piece of Alka-Seltzer to get the lava lamp effect; do this each time you want the effect
The Science
- The Alka-Seltzer drops and dissolves
- Gas rises to top along with colored water
- Gas bubble breaks and colored water sinks back to the bottom
ACTIVITY
Message Tees
You'll Need
- Bleach or bleach pen
- Small bowl
- Paint brush
- Piece of cardboard
- T-shirt
Instructions
- Put a piece cardboard in between your shirt, separating the front from the back
- Dip the brush into the bowl of bleach, touching the side of the bowl as you’re lifting out the brush to remove excess bleach
- Write your message or create a design
- Be careful not to soak otherwise the bleach will eat through the shirt
- Let set until completely dry
- Once dry, remove cardboard and wash gently
NOTE: You could also use a bleach pen. If you use this, let the bleach set
for about 10 minutes then rinse gently under running water being
careful not to let the bleach get on other parts of the shirt. Then add
soap with your hand to the design and rinse again.
ACTIVITY
Picasso Day
Have your kids paint you a picture of something in nature. We keep small canvases and paint in our home because my daughter loves art. If you don’t have this on hand, use construction or copy paper and markers.
ACTIVITY
Salt Dough Art
You'll Need
- 1 cup of salt
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup water
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Instructions
Salt art can be used to make ornaments, steppingstones, paper weights, whatever you want. Grandparents love these as gifts.
- Preheat oven to 200F
- Put everything in a bowl and mix well. Since there’s nothing harmful here, kids can mix with their hands. Otherwise, a fork works well. It should be the consistency of play dough. (Add more water if you need to.)
- Shape into whatever you want – heart, ball, etc. If you think it’s something you’ll want to hang, poke a hole or two at the top with a straw.
- Put your shape onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. If you want footprints or handprints on your art, this is the time to make those prints. This is also the time to carve anything (with a butter knife) – dates, names, etc.
- Bake for 3 hours. Check to make sure it’s dry – the larger the art the longer it will take. (If you’re doing a steppingstone, you may need a few minutes more.)
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Paint with foam brush if you desire.
ACTIVITY
Tie Dye Shirts
ACTIVITY
Sharpie Mugs
You'll Need
- Cheap white ceramic mug (like a Dollar Tree one)
- Sharpie marker
Instructions
- Design your heart out
- Place mugs on a baking sheet and put into a cold oven
- Set oven on 400F and leave for an hour
- Let them sit in the oven until the oven cools
- Handwash when needed; do not put in dishwasher
ACTIVITY
Slime
You'll Need
- 4 oz. Elmer’s Glue
- ½ tbsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp contact lens solution
Instructions
- Add everything to a bowl
- Mix
- Add more contact lens solution if needed (in ¼ tsp increments
Target gives some great instructions and offers pick up service at your car.
ACTIVITY
Tornado in a Jar
You'll Need
- 2 empty 2-liter bottles
- Water
- Duct tape
- Food coloring
Instructions
- Fill one bottle ¾ full
- Add a couple drops of food coloring and swirl to mix
- Attached the tops of the bottles together using duct tape to secure
- Starting with the water filled bottle on top, swirl clockwise until a funnel starts and the water moves to the second bottle
