21 Quick Kids Crafts Ideas

21 Quick Kids Crafts Ideas

Next time it's raining outside or it is a school holiday and you need something quick to do with the kids try a kids craft idea from this list. We have not provided step by step instructions for these simple projects as this is a "Quick list" that is easy to follow.

What you need

Various items

 

Instructions

We asked our readers for their go to “Quick Crafts” for activities with small children, here are the end results.

Crafting is an essential activity for children, as it offers numerous benefits for their physical, mental, and emotional development. Here are some reasons why crafting is important for children:

Develops fine motor skills: Crafting activities involve using small muscles, such as those in the hands and fingers, which help develop fine motor skills in children.

Enhances creativity: Crafting provides a platform for children to express their creativity and imagination. It allows them to explore different materials, colors, and shapes, and encourages them to think outside the box.

Builds self-esteem: Crafting activities provide children with a sense of accomplishment and pride in their creations. It can boost their self-esteem and confidence, which is important for their overall development.

Improves focus and concentration: Crafting requires attention to detail, focus, and concentration, which can help improve a child’s cognitive abilities.

Reduces stress and anxiety: Crafting can be a calming and relaxing activity that helps reduce stress and anxiety in children. It provides an outlet for their emotions and can be a therapeutic activity.

Promotes social skills: Crafting can be a social activity that promotes teamwork, communication, and sharing. It can help children develop social skills and build friendships.

Below is a list of quick kids craft ideas that were contributed by some of our members to help invoke some imagination. If you need help with a project try searching our kids craft area for step-by-step instructions for that project.

Quick and inexpensive? –

Definitely the egg carton caterpillar. You only need egg cartons, pipe cleaners and paint. Another one is Chinese Lanterns, you only need colored cardboard, scissors and some string to hang them up.

By Anne

Beach Collage – We collect all sorts of things from the beach – shells/feathers/coral etc. and make beach pictures.

By Kim Felt

Puppets – Making hand puppets out of felt, no sew, all done with glue, very easy project for kids.

By Marilynne Collage

I use ribbons, rice and other tactile material as well as pictures. Add glitter to glue so you can see something where the little ones miss sticking something on.

By Sharmaine Kids

Jewelry – I think it is fun for kids to make jewelry with beads and ornaments with beads, they love it and it keeps them entertained.

By Tammy

Fun foam door hangers – Pre-cut out shapes that even young children can make, takes about 5 to 10 minutes max and their finished.

By Shannon

Laminated Place mats – Cut out pictures from Sunday paper (whatever theme is of interest to my toddler at the time). Make up a batch of finger paint. Allow him to create a collage with finger paint, cut out images. Finally, laminate artwork and you have a custom placemat.

By Deborah

Salt Dough – A fun activity for kids is to make the salt dough – lots of things can be made from salt dough and it is so easy and cheap and it is easily painted! A good idea is brooches!

By Alison

Family Portraits – Take an old newspaper, sheets of card, some glue, and some child-safe scissors. Ask the children to look through the paper and cut out pictures to glue on the card to create a picture of their family.

By Rosie

Binoculars – Take two toilet paper empty rolls and staple them inside each end stapling them together to look like binoculars. The child can decorate them with crayons or paints or stickers and you can even add a string around them so they are just like dads! My 5-year-old insists she saw a fox through her binocular.

By Cindi

Sewing – Children love to sew using plastic canvas. Embroidery thread or wool can be tied to a large needle and random patterns can be created.

By Jackie

Photo Frames –  Find your favorite photo or even a picture in a magazine cut it out and make a frame in the shape you want out of cardboard. Cover this by gluing material over it and a bit of lace around the edges. Insert your picture and you have an instant photo frame and also a cute gift.

By Sue

Foot Prints – Wide rolls of paper on the ground and ice cream lids with paint let the child do foot print hand print whatever prints. Cut the paper once dry and use it for gift wrap.

By Leighanne

Drinking Straws Garland – Save all your drink straws in many colors and cut them into small pieces. Thread onto wool which makes a great garland for the Christmas tree. It is inexpensive but colorful.

By Marina

Make a wizzer – Take a 2-hole button and some string. Thread the string through the hole and again through the hole in the other direction. Tie the ends together, wind up, and move hands in and out and it makes a whizzy sound and is fun.

By Katrina

Painting flowerpots – Washable paints (of course) so the kids can use their fingers, toes, etc.

By Dawn

Fun Foam Clock – My kids love playing with Fun Foam, so to teach them to tell time, we made a clock out of fun Foam around the numbers they glued shapes and cars. This was a fun and easy project to do.

By Alena

Silhouettes – Have the children lay down on a long piece of construction paper and you trace their bodies. After this is finished let the kids color and draw on the paper what they think they look like. I do this with my daycare kids and they love it.

By Cynthia

Food Animals – With small children make “bugs” from gumdrops and pretzels. – Buy fat gumdrops – slit the middles – stuff in pretzels (small ones) for wings!

By D Kinkhead

Clay Figures – Let them make their own little men/ dolls (action figures) out of clay.

By Brett

Coupons – Let the kids make coupons for gift giving eg. Helping mum around house, being good for 3 hours, etc.

By Jan Brooks

 

Comments

  1. More info would be nice maybe even a couple recipes

  2. wow

  3. Queen India 570 says

    Nice ideas. Like it, but could add older kids crafts, too, e.g. senior crafts, junior crafts, and more. But still, really good. Looks like lots of parents sigh of relief!

  4. needs more directions

  5. those sound like a lot of fun i will try them out.

  6. those sound like a lot of fun i will try them out.

  7. this is a very cool thing. but i do not like all the things. thank you

  8. i doesn’t really help me i don’t like to get messy but GREAT ideas though

  9. this was very helpful, thx everyone for the ideas! my little toddler went crazy for this website!

  10. I guess it would be nice to at least give your students or your children something to do while you are busy. The Beach Collage and Salt Clay are interesting. THANKS!

  11. Im just a kid but i think these crafts could be a little more challenging

  12. Make a little “Creative” area and have boxes, toilet rolls, and other recycled things. The children can make many things and just use their imagination.

  13. NOT just for kids!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love all these different projects when me friends and i get bored. Even for fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this site;-)

  14. these are all so much fun but, the balloon hair bows are an all time faviroite of mine.

  15. well lets see kid thats 12.im 12 too and these are very nifty so instead of cmplaining i suggest you get off your phone and actually try somwthing they are bunches of fun when you really get creative on them. i rest my case. thank and b ythe way i love these crafts im always looking for something to sell for girlsscout trips and this will warm my troop leaders heart

  16. oh my gawd that 12 year old is nasty and rude

  17. Good ideas for adults and kids alike! Especially for a rainy day. And to the person (or kid) commenting below, you shouldn’t take things so seriously! Lighten up and do some crafts! Sheesh! In the time you took to write that essay of a comment you could have done something fun to smile about, instead of moaning and whining like a child! Believe it or not, adults like to have fun too, so not only kids would be doing these!
    Keep them coming! 🙂

  18. Excuse me, I’m a kid, I’m twelve! I have a right to do something a little more mature by now, this is all too young for me, truly ghastly! The radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology of the authors of this website disgusts me, a ‘kid’ is a minor, a youth, someone between the age of 4 and 12, – although in law, a minor is a person under a certain age — usually the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18. “Minor” may also be used in contexts not connected to the overall age of majority; for example, the drinking age in the United States is 21, and people below this age are sometimes referred to as “minors” even if 18 – therefore I am considered a ‘kid’, or am I excused from this generalisation? Am I too mature to be in your little category? Is it that ‘kids’ aren’t clever enough to actually make real things? And on that note, I rest my case…

  19. well the door hanger is nice but i need something more… more complicated i guess because i need crafts for a craft sale so im not sure if it would work or not

  20. not bad!!!!!

  21. cool ill try it one day

  22. that is a very nice idea to make

  23. Nice they are cool

  24. meh not too bad

  25. I tried to binoculars craft with my 3 year old niece and she just loved she is using it on our playground right now looking at the kildeer(birds) in my yard

  26. 🙂

  27. Thanks a bunch, I have been researching for so long an activity to do with my kinders, I appreciate it

  28. Great ideas.
    When one of my daycare kids has a birthday the kids each make a birthday card for them out of construction paper, glitter, stickers, crayons, markers, etc. We also make birthday crowns out of construction paper and decorate them. The birthday girl/boy’s will say “Birthday Girl or Boy” and the others will say “Birthday Girl’s Friend” or “Birthday Girl’s Sister” etc. This way they all get to make a crown and wear it and have the same fun. Or you could have the birthday boy or girl making the crown while the others make the cards. (Note: when stapling the crown together staple so the bent part of the staple faces outward so that it doesn’t get caught on their hair when wearing the crown.)

  29. Taking the kids on a fram-stay holiday and these are going to be used by all aged kids, something for everyone!! Thanks 🙂

  30. EXALLENT

  31. sounds easy and fun

  32. thanks

  33. your site is awesome I am a campground activity director and I have found so many great ideas. Thanks so much !!!

  34. This is very helpful. My little cousin is almost 3 and loves hands-on activities. When he comes over he wants to do something more fun other than playing with the few toys we have for him. Thanks for all of the amazing ideas!

  35. Amazing

  36. theres some good ideas there!

  37. Simple and great ideas for a rainy day or just whenever! These are so much better than video games!

  38. i liked some of the crafts but most i didnt have the stuff to make it would be helpful if you just had some simple paint and paper but still i loved them thanks

  39. These projects were helpful when I had nothing to do!

  40. thanks!

  41. Need more fun projects and not just for little kids and adults! Try teens!!

  42. hello good project

  43. Very helpful to my craft group! Thanks!

  44. just adorable crafts! Theses crafts warm my old, fragile heart to watch my great-great-grandchildren do them!

  45. hi 😛

  46. any ideas for 3-5 year olds for a church group
    not much time maybe 5 minutes

  47. It’s so wonderful, all those ideas! For foot prints I used a roll of wallpaper, sometimes you can buy them very cheap during a sale (I’ve bought mine for $2).

  48. Bsket- Fld a pice of paper and fringe cut. Tencut strips of different colors of paper and weave it thourgh the fringe paper. Ten glue it together and cut the edges of the paper.

  49. Thanks this it helping me with ideas to do for a three year old i am going to sit for!

  50. It’s looking rainy outside so I googled craft ideas for 3 year olds and found this, now me and my son are going to craft up a storm!!! Thanks for the tips!!

  51. Ithink your site is an awesome reference tool for well accomplished, good all rounders! I use the site frequently to teach my littlies new skills….. Without them knowing it!

  52. from Jessica Suarez

    These are all really great because they are quick, I really love the coupon idea! I think having quite in my house for an hour would be a great coupon to get from my kids!

  53. i didnt read any of this but im commeneting anyways

    🙂

  54. Took a lot of ideas from this website, and it got us thinking of other crafts! Helped with our nature camp! Thanks!

  55. Took a lot of ideas from this website, and it got us thinking of other crafts! Helped with our nature camp! Thanks!

  56. it’s cute but crafts for older children (maybe 9+)would be nice…overall not very inspiring but good ideas for quick crafts for younger kids.

  57. I love the ideas of the site, all are fantastic and easy to do with kids.

  58. love it

  59. this site is realy helpful cause i wanna be an artist so thanks

  60. I work with children at an elemntry school for children with OCD and HAD any super easy semi semetrical projects for them?

  61. i’m a preschool teacher and teach three year olds, i will definitely be using this site, its AWESOME!!!!!! NO COMPLAINTS NO IMPROVMENTS NEEDED….. thanks!!

  62. For the binoculars you can also add some saran wrap to the front.
    P.S. this is an awsm site, I’ve looked all over the internet and this is the best one I’ve found yet, even better than family fun, I especially like the way you’ve organized the crafts and the cute layout, very nice.

  63. silhoettes.
    it is cheap and easy my kids loved it very good for2-5 yr olds!
    deffinitly worth giving a go just trace your kids body and let them or you paint it black!

    Good fun!!!!!

  64. It would be great if you could put more detail into the crafts, but they are good.

  65. I had alot of fun with my kids doing all these crafts! Some more detail and instruction woyld be nice but overall we all had a great time and wish the list of crafts wouldn’t have ended. Please if you have a craft tha you have made and it is a gret craft for kids please upload it. Me and my kids have alot of freetime on our hands and i’d rather it be time spent making crafts then beside watching t.v. Thank you so much to all that shared their craft ideas to me and my children!!! :):):)

  66. cute! its hard to find things to make with little kids that are inexpensive. thanks for the ideas!

  67. this is a GREAT site i dont know where id be without it

  68. sounds fun

  69. omg

  70. Great for people like me who run a playgroup and need a quick idea when i haven’t had the time to think of anything!! Links to related crafts or pictures would be good tho!

  71. I use this website for babysitting! it really helps me!

  72. I have to come up with ideas for a group of cubscouts… This could really help! Thanks!

  73. hope this helps me, i’m about to start baby sitting

  74. This site is wonderful\THANKS

  75. i found some pretty good ideas on here

  76. Idk how to tell the crafts apart………… I would also like to see more pictures of the crafts. But I POSITIVELY LOVE THE WEBSITE THEME!!!!!!!
    Very cute and chic. Awesome theme!!!!!

    :)Digg it!

  77. I like the coupon idea it would be good for some R&R time!

  78. not enough craft pictures

  79. most of them are usefull.but more details would be nice.

  80. more details and pictures of the craft woold be nice

  81. thanks for putting out these crafts they look so cool!

  82. I liked the ideas… it gave me ideas as well.

  83. good

  84. These are all very good craft ideas. Thank you for putting them on here. I was looking for crafts to do with my little cousins.

  85. very intresting

  86. as a big help ! Keep up the good work!

  87. Fab site-thank you. Can’t believe some of the negitive comments on here -surely these numpties have ‘some’ imagination!

  88. This is a great family project website.They should name it The Family craft/project center.

  89. this is coooooolll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  90. I got a lot of good ideas for my kindergartners. Thanks,

  91. So Cool I used them and my kids loved them!!!!

  92. ned more easiy crafts for poor kids and older kids ageed 12-13 crafts

  93. i really admire that you do these things and put up this website

  94. WONDERFULL IDEAS. KEEP IT UP!

  95. I thought it was ok. Not your average craft! My sister says she loves it!!!

  96. I appreciate it so much I’mdying to do it immediately

  97. I thought it was a good site.
    Has anyone got ideas of what to make from Jacandra seeds for kids?

  98. This is a great site.

  99. it was amazing

  100. i was looking for some things for older kids to make but it’s ok!

  101. I really thought this was a great website.I Could easaly spend a day with my couson without beieng stuck with nothing to do!
    Thank You and please countinue to add more great ideas!

    Thanks!

  102. these are ok ideas but nothing really stood out to me as being totally amazingly fun and easy! but i have used some of them

  103. Thank you so much. The Coupon idea fits perfectly with the church lesson this evening as we will be discussing helping others and kindness with 1st-3rd graders, and I needed something in a hurry! THANK YOU!

  104. Good ideas.
    I would rate them
    a 9

  105. this rocked

  106. I likee all thee ideas butt yew should add some ferr teens rooms..

  107. i was looking for something quick and easy and with scratch!

  108. is there any crafts for older kids!?

  109. i dont mind the site,its pretty good and simple for smaller children.~H.Z.

  110. i really like the ideas on this site. the kids i babysit are always asking for something to do and i know just where to look.

  111. Great Ideas. Simple but with lots of room for creativity. using these crafts was a success

  112. I got a few really good ideas. Simple but leaves alot of room for imagination.

  113. i like them

  114. We really liked it!!!!!!!!

  115. Wow, I can’t believe the negative comments.The post very specifically says QUICK IDEAS for KIDS.These ideas are great, there are so many projects on this site to browse through (see the ‘kid’s crafts’??)and these are just a few ideas.

  116. Great resorce, loads of tangable ideas for small children. iuse some of them @ my playgroup!!!!

  117. A little more detail on the directions or a small illustration would be more helpful

  118. its okay i guess

  119. christian101 says

    i love this website!!!! its AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  120. christian101 says

    some of the crafts were ok soooo… I might use them! Over all it was pretty good

  121. Great crafts

  122. great ideas for crafts for small children. i bet we can find something to keep us busy off of this site. thanks!

  123. This is an excellent website i would always recomend this to my friends and family and i know i will always use this for kids crafts.

  124. i really like your craft ideas here i think i will use this wonderful site for many more projects this year and the years to come.sincerly your friend on site ********* *** ***** love ya keep it up got to go for now but i will so totally be back later bye

  125. heyheyhey cool crafts

  126. this was extremley good fun!

  127. that is awsome it was cute

  128. i need some ideas on easy crafts for the elderly

  129. it is very good

  130. this is a awsome! there’s always something there!

  131. i think this site is great for my little day care kids i care for, the easier and simpler the better for the age group i look after, stop complaining all you other ppl that dont like

  132. The ideas here are just OK they are NOT great or any thing they are just OK.

  133. I love this website my kids are busy bodies and I need them to sit still and work on something that they share with there kids in the furture or even there friends. Thank you!!!

  134. Cute but more pics would be nice.

  135. Includes Great Ideas For Children, perfect For Keeping Little Hands occupied On A Rainy Day, As An Alternative, Endlesss Items Can Be Made With Paper, Scissors and Glue Plus A Curious’ Child’s Imagination.

  136. very good

  137. Perfect list !! You all who are complaining and leaving bad commments really need to learn to read .. It says that there are no step by step directions here that they are just simple quick and easy for more details go to the kids section of the site.

  138. Thak you. Some really good ideas and inspiring too.

  139. wow you guyes have the best crafts katie

  140. that is sooo cool

  141. wonderful crafts

  142. I loved the play dough and photo frames.

  143. easy crafts for kids. fun to make for adults, too. keeps kids quiet on a rainy or snowy day, and is fun and easy to do. even i, as a mom, found it fun. how do you make salt dough? i found this confusing. how can i make something if i don’t know how? sorry

  144. i would love to do these if they had instructions

  145. What happen to to saying if you dont have anything nice say nothing at all.I like this site it was helpful for me

  146. it was good if you were just browsing for some quick ideas but they didnt go into too much detail and no pictures

  147. More pictures please!

  148. What are we rating here?

  149. llamalady47 says

    salt dough is just homemade playdough

  150. poor site where are the pics fo inspiration?

  151. What is salt dough?

  152. it was good and it helped me out a lot

  153. chinchilla_chilieboy says

    cute,but a little kiddish…im 12 so i cant really relate to them but i dont think that they would be that appealing to like a nine or 10 year old ….still good ideas tho…josie

  154. this craft was great it woked like a charm

  155. very good website

  156. you need to be able to click on the pictures so we can look at a larger version and some of them dont have pictures

  157. i need a craft for a 2 year old and a 5 year old and this site was great!!!!

  158. i like this project. it is so fetch!

    Courtney W.

  159. There are 100’s of kids craft in the kids craft section and Iam pretty sure your 3 yearold daughter didnt say “Iam bored of these Crafts”

  160. my daughter is 3 and she loves art but she wants to do more crafts and says these bore her. pleas make more ideas.

  161. If you click on the link it shows you how to make salt dough.

  162. I would enjoy doing some of these if instructions were provided

  163. Great and wonderful ideas, but a little detail would help.

  164. fantastic web site,thanks it’s bonza

  165. very, very good craft ideas.

  166. My kids loved the crafts! When I told them I had no more crafts after all that we had done they were very dissapointed!I have told some other moms about this website and they are also making crafts!

  167. this is great. you should be on tv for such a great website!

  168. Kiddish ?? umm thats why its for small kids. Read the title

  169. i think all this stuff is to kiddish i have a daughter thats face just drags when she sees all this stuff they need something that will acually test thwem thats what they like

  170. I really liked this craft because I have a two-yearold cousin who loves dressing up. So she really liked it
    -Emmalea-

  171. more detail would be nice

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