Stay vacations are all the craze these days. Searching for activities that will keep your children engaged and that are budget-friendly can be challenging. Crafts provide an answer to this issue. Crafts, whether inside or outside, are available for any age group. You can find the materials needed in inexpensive stores or even in your own home. Pack your kids’ summer with action and fun with these 6 easy, fun craft ideas.
Outdoor Craft Ideas
We all know that the extremely hot weather is coming and doing projects outside can be uncomfortable, but sometimes being outside can help you shake off the boring summer days. Remember to drink water and wear sunscreen while enjoying outdoor activities. The following are some fun, inexpensive summer activities that can be enjoyed outside:
Recycle Bottle Bowling
Like indoor bowling, this outdoor version is budget-friendly, and you can make any rules you want for this game. Go ahead and:
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- Grab 8-10 recycled soda bottles (add sand or water for stability, if necessary).
- Use any ball (a tennis ball, soccer ball, or volleyball will do just fine).
- Decorate the empty soda bottles in any way you like.
- Set up the bottles either the same way the game is designed, or get creative and try something new.
- Take turns rolling the ball toward the bottles to knock them down.
- Have fun!
Water Pistol Painting
Playing with water pistols is a fun game anytime but this activity takes it more to a creative level of fun. Remember to aim the water pistols at the canvas, not your friends or parents. You’ll need:
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- Poster Paint
- Water pistols
- A large canvas or thick construction paper
- Water to thin out the paint and pour it into the water pistol
Start spraying that canvas or paper!
Lawn Twister
This exciting, classic family game reshaped for outdoor use is amazing! This lawn version of the game will have you twisting and stretching for those color dots.
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- Cut a 10-inch hole in recycled cardboard.
- Using contractor’s paint (4 assorted colors), paint six circles of each color the same distance apart.
- Create a spinner if you need one.
- Grab the family and have fun.
Very Hot Day Craft Ideas
During the summer, you want your children to enjoy the outside. Healthy practices of exercising and soaking up the vitamins from the sun are essential to a child’s growth. When it’s too hot to be outside, we need to keep their curious minds learning. Here are some suggested projects that can be done in the shade:
Rock Painting
This project will bring out a creative side; there are no limitations to the imagination. Stones should be sealed after painting. You’ll need:
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- Stones
- Acrylic paint for the background
- Chalk pens
- Sealer
Gelatin Flower Suncatcher
Easy and very budget-friendly, this activity only takes a few steps to complete a project. It’s very fun and creative. You’ll need:
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- Flowers (children’s pick)
- Gelatin
- Glass dish or a small plastic tub
Now, this is the fun part. Pour half of the gelatin into the container, then add your flowers. There is no pattern to the flowers, just toss them in any way you want. Pour the rest of the gelatin on the flowers. Once set, hang them in the window.
Paracord Survival Bracelets
This bracelet is not only stylish but can help you survive in the woods. The weaved cord can be used to fish, build a shelter, or used to hang food from a tree. To make it, you’ll need:
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- Two bundles of paracord (8 ft in length each) of any color
- One snap buckle
- Scissors and a lighter (with adult supervision)
- A video demonstrating knotting the bracelet
The Messy But Fun Crafts
A messy craft is exactly what it sounds like. These crafts can get messy, whether done outside or in. To make sticky sand, measure sand, all-purpose flour, and some vegetable oil and mix well. Then let the sticky sand run through your fingers. Combine 4 oz school glue with food coloring, a bag of Styrofoam beads, a quarter of a tsp of baking soda, shaving cream, and contact solution. Now you have your awesome slime!
For those families who are very budget-conscious, multiple websites can help download templates for paper dolls, character shadow puppets, pop-up cards, and free coloring pages. There is an abundance of activities for all ages.
It’s important that as a parent, we want our children to live a healthy lifestyle while keeping their minds engaged and happy. Making learning fun will only help to improve the child’s social skills and hand-eye coordination and stimulate their creativity.