While summer means time to head to the shore, visit the local pool or spend time camping in state parks, not every day is suited for outdoor activities. Craft projects give kids something to do on those days when either the heat or the rain keeps them stuck indoors. Plus, when a craft project is finished, your child will be proud to have something to give as a gift or hang on the fridge.

 

Seashell Picture Frame

 

Seashell picture frame image by Doc Adams via Flickr

 

A family trip to the shore often means returning with a collection of seashells. Instead of letting the shells collect dust on a shelf or in a drawer, use them as materials for a craft project. Purchase an inexpensive picture frame with a wide edge. Let your child can arrange the shells around the frame’s edge in a pretty pattern and help them hot glue the shells in place.

 

Once the glue has dried, insert a picture. Remember to take funny pictures when your family is on vacation so you have plenty to choose from once you return.

 

Memory Jar

 

Another way to remember a family trip to the beach is to help kids make a memory jar once you return. Gather mementos from your trip: sand, seashells and small photographs.

 

Partially fill a canning jar up with sand, then add the shells. Arrange them so that they look neat from both the top of the jar and the side. Cut the photos into small squares, no bigger than 2 inches and insert them vertically into the sand. Set it on a shelf in your child’s room so they can escape to the beach any time.

 

Windsock

 

Making a windsock together is a great craft project, but it does involve paint, so make sure your kid wears clothes they can get messy in. Start with an empty, clean tomato sauce or bean can. The adult should remove both ends of the can, then drill four holes near the top of the can equal distances from each other. The child can then paint it using acrylic paint, which dries quickly.

 

Help the child cut several lengths of ribbon 36 inches long in his choice of colors. You can use red and white ribbons and a blue can for a patriotic windsock suitable for Independence Day or any other mix of colors for a general-purpose windsock. Use hot glue to attach the ribbons to the inside of the can on the end that doesn’t have holes. Once the glue is dry, thread string through the holes and hang the windsock outdoors.

 

Garden Ideas for Kids

 

Terra-cotta painting image by AForestFrolic via Flickr.

 

Kids are never too young to learn how to garden. New Jersey gardener Chacha Tumbokon got her kids into gardening by having them plant potatoes from the supermarket that had sprouted. One way to make gardening fun for kids is to have them decorate their own small planters. Plain terra-cotta planters are inexpensive and easy to decorate with acrylic or chalkboard paint. Kids can write the name of the plant on the pot or draw a picture of it using chalk.

 

Remember to always keep an eye on kids when working on craft projects. While elementary and middle-school aged children can do a lot of things, it’s best if an adult handles anything sharp, heavy or hot.