3 Fun and Easy Crafts for Kids

Looking for a fun way to keep little hands busy and little imaginations growing? Crafts are a wonderful way for kids to explore their creativity, practice new skills, and—most importantly—have fun!

You don't need expensive supplies or complicated instructions to create something special. In fact, some of the best kids' crafts can be made with things you already have around the house.

Here are three easy crafts to try with your little artists.

1. Paper Plate Animals

Turn an ordinary paper plate into a colorful animal! This craft is simple enough for younger children and can be changed to make almost any creature they can imagine.

What You'll Need

Paper plates

Construction paper

Child-safe scissors

Glue

Crayons or washable markers

Googly eyes, if you have them

Paint, optional

How to Make It

Let your child choose an animal. A lion, frog, fish, panda, or silly monster are all great choices.

Color or paint the paper plate.

Cut ears, noses, whiskers, fins, horns, or other features from construction paper.

Glue the pieces onto the plate.

Add eyes, a mouth, and any other fun details.

Give the animal a name and make up a story about it!

Make It Extra Fun

Create an entire animal family. Once everyone has made an animal, put on a puppet show or create a pretend zoo.

This craft is a great way to encourage imagination while practicing cutting, gluing, and identifying colors and shapes.

2. Toilet Paper Roll Butterflies

Don't throw away those empty cardboard tubes! With a little creativity, they can become beautiful butterflies.

What You'll Need

Empty toilet paper rolls

Construction paper

Glue

Child-safe scissors

Markers or crayons

Pipe cleaners

Stickers, glitter, or other decorations

How to Make It

Cover the cardboard tube with construction paper or let your child color it.

Cut two butterfly wings from another piece of paper.

Decorate the wings with colorful patterns, stickers, or drawings.

Glue the wings onto the back of the cardboard tube.

Add eyes and a smile to the front.

Use small pieces of pipe cleaner to make antennae.

Now you have a cheerful little butterfly!

Make It Extra Fun

Make several butterflies in different colors and hang them from a piece of string to create a colorful decoration for a bedroom or playroom.

You could even turn your craft session into a mini science lesson by talking about the butterfly life cycle.

3. Nature Collage

This craft is a wonderful excuse to get outside before getting creative indoors.

Take the kids on a short nature walk and collect interesting items such as leaves, small twigs, flower petals, and fallen seeds. Just make sure everything you collect is safe and appropriate to use.

What You'll Need

A piece of cardboard or thick paper

Leaves and other safe natural items

Glue

Crayons or markers

Child-safe scissors

Optional: paint

How to Make It

Head outside and collect a few interesting natural materials.

Bring everything inside and arrange the items on your workspace.

Let your child decide what they want to create.

They might make a tree, a butterfly, a funny face, a landscape, or an entirely imaginary creature.

Arrange the materials on the paper before gluing anything down.

Once they're happy with the design, glue everything in place.

Add drawings or painted details to finish the masterpiece.

Make It Extra Fun

Ask your child to give their artwork a title and tell you a story about it.

You may discover that the leaf isn't actually a leaf at all—it's the wing of a dragon named Pickles.

And honestly, that's much more interesting.