Friends, I have found it!! Have you discovered Pinterest? This is a virtual pinboard mecca, with ideas and pictures, and more pictures and more ideas. It. Is. Glorious. Now, personally, I could waste hours drooling over the home decor and DIY sectors….and by hours, I mean days. I have found so many fantastic ideas for our home and my ever-changing decor, it’s like being a kid in candyland! But far beyond that, are the abundant ideas for kiddie crafts and activities!! Yep, that’s right. Just as winter begins, and you wonder how in the world you will entertain those busy hands and minds for endless weeks of chilly weather, Pinterest is there to help you pass the time. Now, on to a few of my favorite crafty ideas for little hands!!
Shaving Cream Bathtub Paint: This is an easy win for everyone! Squirt shaving cream into the cups of a muffin tin + a few drops of food coloring in each and stir = magic in the bathtub! With an old paintbrush or chubby fingers, kids can create washable masterpieces.
Make a tent out of your drying rack! The actual tutorial is here, but you’ll need a translator for it (Google Chrome can do it for you, if you prefer). The process is relatively easy to figure out without instructions, though, just from peering at pictures. If you don’t want to go that crafy/semi-permanent route, just build a tent of sheets and pillows on/off your sofa. It’s like camping, but without the bugs.
Marsh Mallow Building: Give your child a pile of mini-marshmallows and a stack of toothpicks. It’s a great developmental skill for toddlers, and the older ones will love building “cities” and towers. Be sure you keep an eye on smaller ones with this craft, as toothpicks can also become weapons in little hands!
Yarn Hearts (or other designs!): Use floral wire and a pair of pliers to twist out a design (or 3!), then give your child a length of yarn to weave around and decorate it!
Cheerio Rainbows: Give your child a cup full of multi colored Cheerios (Trix work really well for this too!). Draw a rainbow on construction paper with all the correct colors (ROYGBIV anyone?). Line each row with glue and allow your child to choose the correct colors from their cup to fill the glue line of each color.
And to think, you thought that the only thing exceeding your little one’s energy was the number of days til warmer weather! Clearly, this list could go on forever, but here are a few additional, wonderful resources for crafts and activities. I also discovered these in my Pinterest “research” (that’s what I tell my husband it is, but you won’t tell him, right?):
www.pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com
Do you have a favorite activity to help pass the chilly, winter days? Please feel free to share your thoughts with the masses below and happy crafting!
Photos courtesy of Carissa GoodNCrazy on Flickr.
This post was originally written by former writer Heather Kirk, you may view her biography here:http://www.thecharlottemoms.com/meet-the-moms-heather-2/
Jennifer is The Charlotte Moms' Editor-in Chief and a child of Christ. She has lived in the Charlotte area for 5 years with her roller coaster blogging husband and her two beautiful daughters. She is a self-proclaimed Jill-of-all-trades and is passionate about organizing events and her home. She loves Social Media and blogging and also writes for MommyBKnowsBest.com and freelances for other brands and companies as well. Jenn owns her silly personality, shows her love for God, and wants to help parents out through her experiences and what she has learned from others. Happy Reading!!
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