31 Arts and Crafts for Kids to Make at Home
By: Highlights Editorial
Break out your scissors, glue sticks, and googly eyes! Here’s a list of 31 arts and crafts for kids to make with just a little help from you. Inspired by the Highlights Book of Things to Do!
1. Pompom Ice Pops
Make these fuzzy and fun pompom ice pops for a colorful play-pretend treat!
2. Homemade Clay
Make your own clay with four simple ingredients. It’s that easy—and that fun!
3. Dinosaur Feet
Be the first to roam the earth—or the first to roam the house in the morning—wearing these three-toed dinosaur feet!
4. Flower Pens
Take an ordinary pen and transform it into something beautiful—a bouquet of flowers!
5. Ooey Gluey Suncatchers
Who knew you could make such cool crafts for kids with just glue and paint!
6. Mail a Hug
Download these free printable patterns so your little one can mail a hug to someone special!
7. Goofy Robots
Kids can sharpen their fine motor skills by transforming rectangular boxes into rootin’-tootin’ robots.
8. Homemade Finger Paint
Mix up a batch of finger paint with ingredients you already have at home.
9. Water Microscope
Get crafty and build a DIY microscope out of recycled materials!
10. Create a Castle
Use this free printable to create your own desktop castle, complete with two dragon friends.
11. Cardboard Tube Telescope
Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! This play-pretend telescope will help your kids look at things in a whole new way!
12. Recycled Guitar
Upcycle an empty shoebox and watch your little ones explore making music with their very own homemade guitar!
13. Paint with Bubbles
Take art time outside and make bubble-paint masterpieces.
14. Paper Plate Spin Art
Spinning a plate to make art? Yes! It’s one of the easiest (and most fun!) crafts for kids.
15. Easy Sidewalk Paint
When paper isn’t big enough for your little artist, move to the sidewalk.
16. Decorate a Time Capsule
Can’t save time in a bottle? The next best thing is to save some of your family’s memories today to enjoy in the future.
17. String Puppet Plane
Help your kid take off with this plane marionette craft.
18. Make Your Own Block Prints
These easy-to-make prints produce a beautiful, finished product.
19. Colorful Butterflies
When children make little butterflies, it’s a fine-motor-skills celebration, packaged as pretty play.
20. Toy Camera
This toy camera is perfect for little ones who are not quite ready for the real thing.
21. Paper Filter Flowers
Encourage your kids to experiment with different combinations of colors in this classic craft.
22. Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk
Who knew that making chalk was so easy?
23. Monster Puppets
Maybe the monster under your child’s bed is just an old sock waiting to become a star in monster theater!
24. Beachy Creature Feet
Make funky flip-flops to match your favorite beach creature.
25. Green Gobbler
Your kids will learn about joints and hinges by putting together this make-it-yourself green gobbler craft.
26. DIY Building Blocks
These interlocking cards are simple to craft and have lots of construction possibilities!
27. Bubbles and Bubble Wands
Make a soapy mix and wands from items you have around the house, then head outside and blow!
28. Make a Mailbox
Use this mailbox to send your kids reminders and cheerful messages!
29. Paper Bag Village
Download our free printable pages and tape them to bags to build a tiny town your little ones can call their own!
30. Paint Up a Storm
Here is a fun way for kids to ride out a rainy or gloomy day: let your little artists paint up a storm!
31. Pool-Noodle Village
What kind of village do the kids want to create? Just use your noodle!
Can't get enough crafts? Find 500+ more activities for your kids to discover, explore, and create in our Highlights Book of Things to Do!