Kindergarten-aged kiddos seem to have endless energy. So when you have your little ones at home all day, prepare ahead of time by putting together a few hands-on crafts to keep those little hands busy. Your children will be entertained all day long with these easy-to-make crafts for kindergartners.
Homemade Block Crayons
Photo source: Lazy Moms Blog
Materials:
- Crayon pieces
- Silicone muffin cups
- Baking sheet
Instructions:
Collect used crayon pieces and arrange them in the bottom of silicone muffin or cupcake cups. You can find silicone muffin cups at most craft supply stores. After the silicone cups are around halfway full, place them on a baking sheet. Bake the cups in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 15 minutes until they're melted. Allow the cups to cool completely, then pop the block crayons out for use.
Paper Cup Houses
Photo source: Artsy Craftsy Mom
Materials:
- Paper cups
- Markers
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Hot glue gun
Instructions:
Give your children paper cups and markers, turn the cups upside down, then show them how to draw doors and windows onto the cups. Draw flowers and grass around the bottom edge of the cup to look like a garden. Place the cup onto a piece of colorful construction paper, then trace around the edge to make a circle. Cut out the circle with scissors, then cut out a triangular notch from the edge to the center. Curl the circle into a cone and tape the overlap to secure the cone in place. Hot glue the cone onto the top of the upturned cup to finish the paper cup house.
Recycled Box Guitar
Photo course: Projects for Preschoolers
Materials:
- Cardboard box
- Scissors
- Cardboard tube
- Duct tape
- Jumbo rubber bands
Instructions:
Cut a 4-inch hole out of the front of a cardboard box with scissors. Cut a 3-inch hole out of the top of the box, then insert a cardboard tube down through the hole. Secure the tube in place using duct tape. Cut six half-inch slits around the top edge of the tube. Stretch six rubber bands across the box and tube so that the strings fall over the 4-inch hole. Slip the rubber band through the six slits cut into the top of the tube. Place duct tape over the top of the tube to secure the rubber bands. Your little one can now strum their homemade guitar!
Watermelon Salt Dough
Photo source: Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
Materials:
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- Spoon
- 1 1/4 cup water
- Food-grade watermelon fragrance oil
- Food coloring, pink and green
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of flour with 1 cup of salt. With a spoon, stir in 1 and 1/4 cups of water and three to five drops of food-grade watermelon fragrance oil. Mix the dough well, then split the dough into two separate bowls. Add a few drops of pink food coloring into one bowl, and a few drops of green food coloring into the other bowl. Mix each bowl well to create watermelon-scented pink and green salt dough.
Homemade Maracas
Photo source: A Mom's Take
Materials:
- Plastic eggs
- Dried beans or rice
- Duct tape
- Plastic spoons
- Small bowl
- 1/4 cup craft glue
- 1/4 cup water
- Paintbrush
- Colored tissue paper
Instructions:
Fill a plastic egg halfway full with dried beans or rice. Close the egg and seal the edge with duct tape. Place a plastic spoon on either side of the egg, positioning them so that the bowls of the spoons face each other and wrap around the egg. Wrap tape around the spoon handles and around the egg to secure everything in place. In a small bowl, pour in 1/4 cup of craft glue and 1/4 cup of water, mixing well with a spoon. Use a paintbrush to cover the maraca with a thin layer of diluted craft glue, then apply strips of colorful tissue paper to cover it. Allow the maraca to dry completely before making beautiful music.
Looking for even more crafts for kindergartners? Try these 5 awesome mess-free crafts for kids. And check out our video for making your own playdough!