Share your summer craft ideas for my kids!

[XUfan]

***Please note: This post was originally in the RAOK forum. The winner was already declared...but I thought it should be moved here, so that it would be here for anyone who needed ideas for bored kids! Feel free to add more ideas!!

In two more days, summer break will be here.
I have a 12 year old stepdaughter who will wake up, totally bored on the first day of summer break!!
I also have my 8 year old grandson, and 4 year old granddaughter 2 or 3 days a week.

I'd like to have a "craft day" once a week, when it's either too rainy or too hot to go outside, or walk to the park. And I'd love to have a "craft file" to pull up on those days!

So...what I'm asking is for VERY CHEAP craft ideas! Simple enough for the 4 year old (who thinks she's 12!)...but interesting enough for the other two kids! Please don't send me to Michael's, etc. I don't have any money to fund these crafts!!! Try to think of things that I might have around the house.

I won't pick a "best"...I'll just pick a random post number, and send a big fat envie to the winner!! Let's give this until Friday morning, to get as many ideas as possible.

OK...you have your challenge...Let's see what great ideas you come up with!! Thank you all in advance!!

[pokey]

You can do these old fashioned things that are cheap

Make your own chalk (using plaster of paris)

Make some Bubble solution with dish soap.

Rig up some kind of stage and do a play or talent show.

If you can find some cardboard LARGE boxes the 2 younger ones might like to make a house. Maybe the older girl can help them make and decorate it.

Good Luck
Pokey

[oscamaya]

Ok I don't know what kind of stuff you have laying around the house so here are several ideas to choose from:

Invisible Ink
Need: Qtips, lemon juice, paper
What to do: write a secret message on the paper and after it dries, hold it up to a light bulb or other heat source and the lemon juice message will turn brown.

Coffee Can banks
What to do: Decorate empty coffee cans with paint or cut out pictures from magazines. Can use them to store money or other keepsakes.

Design your own jeans
You should probably use old jeans, but if you have paints you can paint cool designs on the pockets to make custom jeans (I know teens can be picky about clothes so this one might not work). I personally like to do this with my jeans

Paper Mache Paste:
one part water, one part flour (there might be other recipes on the net)
you can make pinatas

Milk jug/soda bottle bird feeders
you can probably search for instructions on how to make these but they are easy to do.

Some of them are pretty lame for the older one I know, but decorating jeans, or making purses out of old clothes can be fun. It is hard to find crafts for such a wide age range, but like PP said, she might enjoy helping the younger ones with their crafts. Hope you can use these ideas! Well good luck!

[ShoppingCartDiva]

Make glitter lip gloss/body lotion. The girls will love it!


Bubble Stuff is another great thing. Making your own bubble stuff is really easy, AND it's WAY better than store-bought. Go here: The Art and Science of Bubbles. Their recipe is good, and take their advice and add glycerin. It's what will allow you to blow really big bubbles. :)

For some elementary kids, we once did a lesson plan that revolved around bubbles. Part of it involved a cheap-o plastic baby pool FULL of bubble stuff. We made huge giant bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, bubble art, you name it. :D


Make Crayon Sun-Catchers. Use your broken crayons, sharpen them to create shavings or use a vegetable peeler. Cover a sheet of waxed paper with the shavings, then top with another piece of waxed paper. Place a sheet of regular paper on top of the waxed paper, and then iron it on low setting. After it's cool, the kids can cut it into shapes. Punch a hole in the top, thread a ribbon through it, and hang it in the window.

You can also use the broken crayons to make rainbow crayons. Put chunks in an ice cube tray. Microwave until melted. Let it cool, then you have your own rainbow crayon. Speaking of, Crayola has an awesome website. It has tons and tons of things to do.


Here's some ideas from Parent-Child Activities:
Fruity Putty

Your kids want to play with Play-Do, but you open the lids and it’s all dried out. Never fear! You can make your own modeling dough with kitchen ingredients. And this one smells good.
Mix a 3-ounce package of sugar-free fruit-flavored gelatin, 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt and 4 tablespoons cream of tartar in a pan. Add 2 cups boiling water and 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Stir over medium-high heat until the mixture forms a ball. Place the ball on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. Use different flavors to make different colors and smells.
Permanent Sand Castles

Remember last summer when you made that beautiful sand castle on the beach and then had to watch the tide come in and wash it all away? You never have to say goodbye to this permanent sand castle. It looks like the real thing but stays forever, just like a sculpture. Get the sand from your sandbox, or buy play sand at the hardware store.
First get an old saucepan or one that can withstand scratches from the grittiness of the sand. In it, mix together 1 cup play sand, ½ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, ¾ cup hot water. Cook over medium heat on the stove until it gets so thick that it can’t be stirred anymore. Cool slightly. Using sand moulds, sandbox toys, margarine containers or just your hands, mould the sand mixture into a castle or whatever you want your sculpture to be. Let dry for several days.

[XUfan]

Great ideas so far!!!

And, yes it's a wide age range for only 3 kids...but the 4 year old is VERY smart, and the 12 year old loves to do anything where she can be creative. She also likes being in the "older sister" role, since she doesn't have any brothers or sisters.

So...anything is good!!!

[ShoppingCartDiva]

The nice thing is, you can always enlist your stepdaughter's "help". You need her help to work on a project with the older kids. Then she can participate at not think it's too young or baby-ish. :)

[collectorofbells]

Pasta necklaces-any size and shape...dye them with food coloring or kool-aid...string em up!

[saving4earlyretirement]

Have a Christmas in July day and make Christmas cards.

[Berrykarrie]

make cookies - all ages most of the time like to do that!

or perhaps
have a day to write letters to grandparents(fancy up the letters with stickers/glitter/coloring ect) and take some silly pictures to put into the envie of the kids. They will have fun taking silly pictures.

Have a great summer - I know I am going to need lots of ideas for crafts too! I am in the same boat with 4 kids home all summer long.

[Brea]

Perler Beads (make designs, shapes and than iron them)...I love them myself.