Seeing that stack of colored construction paper sparks a surge of creativity in any child. They make leaves, cut out hands and use that paper up before we can blink. Using construction paper to foster a child’s imagination is inexpensive and has just as many possibilities as other crafting mediums. Start your child off with a few of these fun, classic construction paper craft ideas and then let their imagination run wild. A little creativity can go a long way when it comes to construction paper crafts.
Construction Paper Turkeys
Have your children trace their hands on several different colors of construction paper. Red, brown, orange and one black works best. After they have traced and cut out their hands from the paper have them glue their hands together fanning the fingers to make them look like the turkeys feathers. They can then take one hand either black or brown and turn it so the thumb sticks down lower than any other and that will be the turkeys face. A red hand can then be turned upside down from the other hands to make the turkeys waddle and legs. After they have positioned all their pieces as they desire they can glue them and then draw a face for the turkey with crayon.
Construction Paper Place mats
Have the children each select one base piece of paper. Cut the out the center of the paper in the shape of the paper leaving an even inch all the way around. Folding the paper in half and cutting it usually works best to create the even piece. Next, have the children cut strips of paper about an inch wide in a variety of different colors. They can either do a pattern of colors or go multicolored, leave it up to them. After all the strips have been cut, have the children weave the strips together basket weave style horizontally and vertically and glue in place.
Construction Paper Flags
Naturally, this project can be done for any national flag, but I will use the American Flag in this example. Have the kids cuts white strips about an inch wide and the entire length of the paper. Have the kids glue the strips on to a sheet of red paper leaving an inch between each strip. Next, have the kids cut a square about a third of the size of a sheet of paper out of blue construction paper. Have them glue the blue square in the top left hand corner. Finally, have the children cut stars out of white paper and glue them to the blue square.
Construction Paper Snowflakes
Making construction paper snowflakes is not only fun and easy, but it teaches children about symmetry. Have the children cut a circle or diamond shape from a sheet of folded white paper. Next have them cut shapes on the fold. When they are finished they will open the fold and their snowflake will be the exact same on each side. A wonderful book to accompany this craft is Snip, Snip.. Snow by Nancy Poyder. Reading this book prior to the making the snowflakes makes the craft twice as exciting for the kids.
Construction Paper Christmas Tree
Start each child off, by having them fold a piece of green construction paper in half. Next, have them cut the same piece of paper in half. Have them place the two pieces of green construction paper together and fold them in half together long ways. Next, have them draw half a Christmas tree on the fold starting at the top making the tree wider towards the bottom of the paper. Have them cut the tree out and unfold the pieces. Next, have them refold the pieces individually and cut a slit on the fold halfway down from the top on one tree. Then, have them cut the other tree halfway up from the bottom. Finally, fit the two trees together by sliding them in to the slits on the other tree. The children can decorate their trees with glitter and tiny decorations cut from various colors of construction paper.
