The kids are out of school. You need activities for them that don’t involve expensive admission tickets, hot carnival rides and overpriced food and drinks. It would also be nice to see their faces and not just the tops of their heads over a video game. Let’s get creative and try some arts and crafts.
Painting
You’ll need paint that can be easily cleaned up with water. Use art paper, butcher paper or canvas throws. You can get creative with supplies. How about a plastic water gun, 500 ml plastic syringe or straws for some Jackson Pollock-inspired pieces? Try an old toothbrush for a paintbrush and use some popsicle sticks to draw lines through the paint. You could make your own puffy paint.
Bird Feeders
It’s fun to watch the birds in the yard and even better when they hang around and sing. Try making your own bird feeders. These can be as simple as rolling pinecones in peanut butter and birdseed to plastic bottle feeders to plate and bowl feeders. Wine bottles also make beautiful bird feeders and you’ll be recycling at the same time. It’s a great way to combine fun and function for the whole family to enjoy.
Try Tie-Dye
The watercolor effects of tie-dye never fail to amaze. There are infinite patterns and color combinations that can come from such little effort. For an easy tie-dye project, try Sharpie tie-dye. Simply take some fabric squares, give your little ones some colorful Sharpies and have them draw a picture. Once they’ve completed their drawings, take a dropper of rubbing alcohol and drop along the marker lines and watch the colors melt into a new creation. Once dry, you can take the fabric and make pillows or doll quilts. You can even use plain t-shirts for wearable art!