Categories: Parenting

Five Non-Messy Arts and Crafts Activities for Kids

I think kids need to get messy sometimes. Playing in the dirt, using glitter and finger painting are all activities we like to partake in. However, on those days where I am just exhausted or have recently cleaned the house from top to bottom, it’s nice to have some art activities that aren’t too messy. Here are five arts and crafts activities for kids that don’t make a mess.

Adhesive Foam Crafts

Foam crafts are a favorite in our house. From foam picture frames to door knob hangers to hats, there’s a foam craft kit for pretty much everything. I have done these for birthday parties and playgroups. The activities are always a hit. Orientaltrading.com has many different options. Choose a kit that has self-adhesive shapes for decorating. This enables children to complete the craft without messy glue. Have a little bowl or trashcan for kids to throw away the adhesive backs. I have also simply bought a big container of foam shapes and squares of foam so children can make whatever they want.

Water Colors

I have found that water painting is much easier to clean up than finger painting. All one really needs is a big piece of paper, some water colors, water and paintbrushes. You can also find watercolor painting books. Teach children to dip their brush in the water and blot on a cloth before dipping it into another color. Afterwards, the brushes can quickly be rinsed off. The paintings dry fast too.

Beading

My daughter brought home a “baked ziti” necklace from preschool. I suddenly remembered that “macaroni” necklaces were a simple, entertaining craft. There is so much to do with a piece of elastic, yarn or leather string and things around the house. Kids can use various types of pasta or cut up straws for beads. Basic seed beads are inexpensive and easy to string. Make sure to separate each type of bead into containers.

Paper Bag Puppets

My daughter received a cute paper bag puppet kit from her grandma. The kit contained colorful paper bags, stickers and decorative additions to make several animal puppets from the bag. Looking at the kit, I decided it would be easy to replicate. You can buy plain white paper bags or rummage around your house for some gently used gift bags. The easiest and least messy way to decorate the puppets is to use washable markers. If you don’t mind little mess, provide some yarn and construction paper scraps for hair, tails and ears.

Invisible Ink Pictures

An easy way to use invisible ink is to draw something with a Q-tip dipped in lemon juice with a little water. Then, apply heat to the letter. The heat part is something an adult should do. Hold the paper up to but not on a light bulb. Do not hold it up to a halogen light bulb. You should see your picture.

In general, if we are painting or using glue, I always put down a plastic table cloth. This way scraps of paper can easily be shaken off outside and the table cloth can be wiped down.

Source:

sciencekids.co.nz