There's never a shortage of kids' art projects. With a little imagination and creativity, kids (as well as parents) won't run out of things to make. All you need are some basic supplies and a clear work space. What follows are some tips and inspiration for kids' art projects.
Supplies for Kids' Art Projects
There are two types of supplies for kids' art projects. The kind you buy and the kind you recycle. Here are some things that can be recycled from the home and used for art projects:
- Cardboard toilet paper or paper towel tubes
- Magazines with lots of pictures
- Cardboard boxes
- Leftover holiday or birthday ribbon
- Stickers
- Material remnants
- Buttons
- Dried pasta
- Plastic soda bottles
- Plastic gallon bottles
- Paper bags
Stock up on these supplies when you can. They're necessary staples.
- Yarn
- Foam stickers
- Glue or glue sticks
- Crayons
- Markers
- Paint
- Scissors
- Paintbrushes
- Paper
Collages
You don't need a Master's in Elementary Education to think of some really good kids' art projects. Children are easy. Give them a magazine and a glue stick or a few sheets of stickers and encourage them to make a collage. Kids love cutting out pictures of animals or people and pasting them to paper. Encourage them to tell a story with their collages or find pictures of certain things and group them together. To add more color they can use crayons or markers to create a border.
Foam Crafts
Foam crafts are among the more popular of the kids' art projects. Whether purchased in a kit or separately in pieces, your children will love creating with foam. Parents especially enjoy foam crafts because they're not messy. In many cases foam pieces are peel and stick. Those that aren't are easily attached using a glue stick. Some examples of foam projects include book marks, wall hangings, ornaments, door knob hangers and holiday ornaments.
Vases and Planters
Another great idea for kids art projects might be to make vases and planters. Lots of household or grocery items can be recycled in this manner. Milk cartons, plastic beverage containers, and empty butter tubs can all be cleaned, de-labeled and painted and decorated to make attractive holders for plants and flowers. The crafts store offers a treasure trove of items suitable for adorning homemade flower pots or vases. Consider buttons, peel and stick jewels and glitter. Also at the craft store are unadorned vases, flower pots and other planters just waiting for decoration.
Kids' Art Projects on the Internet
There are plenty of places online to help you find ideas for kids art projects. Below is a sampling:
- LoveToKnow Crafts is an enormous resource offering craft projects, instructions and ideas for all skill levels and ages.
- The DIY Network also offers a wonderful selection of projects and ideas. You'll find instructions with photos for some amazing craft projects.
- Oriental Trading doesn't only offer inexpensive party favors. They also feature pages and pages of kids' craft projects. In fact, Oriental Trading has a large assortment of foam craft projects of ideas. Even more so than the local craft store!
- Kinder Art is a trusted name in kids' art projects. Here you'll find tips, ideas and instructions for parents, art teachers and, of course, kids.
- As you would expect, Crayola's Creativity Central also has ideas for kids of all ages.
- Enchanted Learning's Crafts for Kids page features dozens of projects for any occasion.
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