Looking for something to entertain the kids over the school holidays? We've gathered up over 50 of our favourite crafts for kids to inspire you and keep little hands busy.
These easy crafts for kids don't cost much and you'll be surprised how long some of these ideas will keep mini makers entertained. Crafting is also proven to be beneficial for wellbeing and mental health, and so is a great way to help children relax and unwind.
We've included arts and craft ideas for kids of all ages in this article. If you're looking for ideas for younger kids, check out our arts and crafts ideas for toddlers. If you are looking for older kids try these best craft ideas for teens and tweens.
50+ best arts and crafts ideas for kids
1. Bubble painting crafts
Bubble painting is messy, creative and lots of fun! This is a great activity to do with young children, who will love blowing through the straw to make their own bubble art.
Find everything you need in Gathered's easy-to-follow bubble painting guide.
2. Cardboard castle
Don't throw your delivery boxes away! They can be turned into wonderful cardboard castles.
These castles can vary in size depending on what you have to hand, but you can be really inventive with them. Add turrets, tunnels and even extra rooms if you have plenty of boxes to use.
This is a perfect activity for rainy days and it won't cost you anything to make. Learn how to make cardboard castles with Gathered.
3. Rainbow rice
Rainbow rice is brilliant for sensory play and it's so satisfying to make! The best part is that you probably have most of the ingredients already in your cupboard at home.
All you need is rice, food colouring and some vinegar to help the colours set. Find out how to make rainbow rice with our handy guide.
4. DIY paper strip rainbows
This simple art and crafts idea for kids is so much fun and easy to make – head over to one of our favourite craft blogs, One Little Project, to find out how to make paper strip rainbows.
5. Seed bombs
When spring arrives you can make these fantastic DIY seed bombs with children. Once made, you can scatter them in your own garden or give them away as gifts.
This is a fun way to spread patches of wild flowers in your local area too!
6. Fake snow
Whip out some kitchen staples to make your own fake snow for Christmas! While it doesn't feel as chilly as the real thing, it looks very similar!
There are a few different ways to make fake snow, but if you're making it for children to play with we'd recommend using baking soda, corn flour and water so it won't harm them if they decide to taste it.
Looking for more festive activities for children? Explore our easy Christmas crafts for kids to discover lots of entertaining seasonal projects.
7. Fairy garden ideas
Bring some magic into your child's life this summer with our enchanting fairy garden ideas. This is a creative way to encourage imaginative play and come up with some fantastical games.
Fairy gardens look great outside or you can transform an indoor flower pot into a spellbinding scene. You'll get as much enjoyment from this one as your child does!
8. Slime
Slime is incredibly satisfying to play with and its simple to make your own. You can even add glitter to your finished slime to make it glisten.
Learn how to make slime at home with Gathered.
9. Fluffy slime
Take your slime game to the next level by making fluffy slime. This has a much smoother texture than our basic slime recipe and more volume thanks to the addition of shaving gel.
Make it into Halloween slime by adding lots and lots of creepy eyes! Discover more spooktacular makes in our pick of the best Halloween crafts for kids.
10. Puffy paint
Create 3D art by making your own puffy paint. You can paint with it or pipe it onto paper using a plastic bag with a corner cut off.
The paint shrinks a little as it dries, but the finished texture still looks very cool!
11. Kinetic sand
Kinetic sand can be moulded, shaped and squished, so it's a wonderful sensory play activity for little kids. There's something very soothing about squeezing and crumbling the sand, so this is a relaxing activity to enjoy.
Find out how to make kinetic sand the easy way.
12. Pipe cleaner crafts
The humble pipe cleaner is a real lifesaver, because there are so many different things that you can make using them.
You can make everything from games to bracelets and crowns. Get started with Gathered's favourite easy pipe cleaner crafts.
13. Hand print art ideas
If you love finger painting, you should definitely give hand print painting a go! You can turn hand prints into cactuses, peacocks and even crabs.
Browse our hand print painting ideas to find lots of playful ideas that children will adore.
14. Popsicle stick crafts
Popsicle sticks or lollipop sticks are cheap and can be found in most craft stores – or you can buy big packets of them online.
We love this incredible dream catcher-inspired project, but of course there are endless things you can make using popsicle sticks.
Make everything from snakes to ballerinas with Gathered's pick of the best popsicle stick ideas.
15. Marble mazes
Marbles are as popular now as they ever were! Why not upcycle some of your old cardboard and create a fun marble puzzle for the little ones. We found these fab tutorials on How to Make a Cardboard Labyrinth Game by Just5mins, which is great fun for slightly older kids.
You can adjust your maze to suit the age of the child too. Small children might want to roll the marbles around using loo rolls. Remember always to supervise when playing with marbles.
16. Salt dough ornaments
Want to start your next art project but worried you don't have any craft supplies in the house? We've got the perfect activity for you! All you need to make your own salt dough is flour, salt and water.
You can even decorate your creations with food colouring, paints or pens. If you don't have these supplies the kids will still love mixing and rolling the dough.. Find out how with our video and step-by-step easy salt dough recipe.
17. Painted plant pots
This lovely project combines two fun activities, painting and planting. Grab your paints, a terracotta plant pot and get cracking on this art project! There isn't much more to it.
If you want the painting to last though, add a layer of waterproof varnish once the paint is dry. Once finished, plant your little one's favourite flower! We like this fun DIY Pretty Face Planters idea from Country Living.
18. Bug hotels
Are your little ones fascinated by creepy crawlies? Bring A Bug's Life to your back garden with these fabulous bug hotels! Not only are you creating an educational project for your kids, but helping out mother nature too.
Garden Therapy has put together a great post on How to Build a Bug Hotel. There are also some great kits available to buy, try this lovely premade bug hotel from Buddy:
19. Kites
Making kites out of paper will provide kids with hours of entertainment. These fun DIY easy crafts for kids will double up as a great outdoor activity once you've finished!
Learn how to make a kite out of paper with Gathered.
6. Pirate ship
Empty cardboard box lying around the house? You're halfway to making your very own pirate ship! Kids will love the making and the playing with a junk-modelled pirate ship.
This great upcycling project allows you to use up any old odds you might have around the house. This cute idea from Backyard Crafts shows you how to make a pirate ship from rolled sheets of newspaper.
20. Kaleidoscope
Easy to make and fun to play with the kaleidoscope is a classic for a reason! You will need to source some mirror card for this project, but other than that you can raid your craft cupboard!
Find out how it's done with our video guide and step-by-step tutorial for how to make a kaleidoscope.
21. Easy origami
This is one of the simplest ideas in this round-up to make, as all you need is some paper to get going.
We've collected some fantastic easy origami for beginners projects to help you get started. You can make everything from origami hearts to simple lucky stars.
22. Bath bombs
If you're looking for crafts to do at home, making your own bath bombs is one of the most easy crafts for kids. This doubles up as two things for kids to do in one – make the bath bombs, then have a bath and watch them fizz!
Follow along with our super-simple bath bomb video tutorial. Try using different shaped moulds for a variety of creations.
23. Cute flower paper fans
We've got a lovely tutorial to show you how to make a paper fan which are lovely and easy crafts for kids, plus it'll help them to keep cool on hot days!
24. Finger painting
One of the quick and easiest arts and crafts ideas in this round-up and you can adapt for different age groups. Pre-schoolers will enjoy getting messy with paints with hands and fingers. Can they make dots? Can they make stripes? What colours are they using? But you can also level this one up for older kids too.
Grab an ink pad or paints and make finger-painted animals, characters or decorate cardboard Easter eggs. How many different animals can they make out of fingerprints? Try our pick of the best finger painting ideas.
25. Suncatchers
If you want to create your own sun catcher kit at home you will only need a few tools, so it is a low-cost project to take on. There are a couple of methods for making sun catchers at home.
Follow Gathered's easy step by step guide to learn how to make a rainbow suncatcher.
If you're feeling adventurous, try the melted bead method, as demoed in this video DIY suncatcher tutorial by WhatsUpMoms.
26. Matchbox challenge!
Words cannot convey how much we truly love a matchbox challenge. If you haven't come across these before, you give kids a matchbox (or any small box will do really) and see what they can turn it into. Pinterest is positively awash with ideas to try.
The beauty of this sweet craft project is you can adapt it to suit how creative and how old your children are. On a basic level, you can do a household treasure hunt to see how many things children can fit in a matchbox. Why not challenge the kids to see who can make the best matchbox project!
Here's a few ideas to get you started:
- Matchbox Unicorn Notebook DIY from Red Ted Art
- Super sweet dolls house matchbox inspo from Esther Alverez
- Make the teeny tiny mini matchbox houses of our dreams
- Turn several matchboxes into a mini chest of drawers
27. DIY masks
Dress up and crafting - our favourite combination. Making your own masks only requires cardboard or a paper plate and a bit of elastic, string or ribbon to secure them in place.
You don't need to buy any kits of specialist crafts for this one and you can adapt them to suit your child's interests. Try these printable super hero masks which include all the comic book favourites.
No printer? Download these kids' animal mask templates from First Palette to trace from your computer screen.
This bunny mask would be a fab activity to do with the kids at Easter! Help them get their creative side on and discover even more fun Easter projects in our Easter crafts for kids round-up.
28. Cross stitch on plastic canvas or binca
Teach your kids to stitch and you'll be amazed how long they can sit still and concentrate for (within reason and depending on your child's personality!).
With a few simple supplies, you can show kids how to cross-stitch. Check out our 10 top tips for cross stitch for kids, which explains the basic techniques. There are a few recommendations for child-friendly cross stitch kits too.
29. DIY Pirate treasure hunt
What's great about this craft is that the making is equally as fun as the playing. Making your own pirate costume and treasure hunt is so much fun, the kids will get hours of entertainment. Here are a few links to handy tutorials we've found to get you started...
- Turn paper cups into hand hooks and make a lollypop treasure chest
- Treasure hunt clues tips from The Spruce
- Shoe Box Treasure Chest DIY
- Make your own Pirate hat
30. Painted pebbles and rocks
Painting rocks has become a viral trend in recent years. We have seen many communities getting involved with painting and hiding pebbles. The fun of painting the pebbles and discovering other pebbles means lots of fun for kids.
To ensure your painted pebbles are waterproof we recommend adding a layer of varnish. Take a look at our pebble painting ideas for lots of inspiration.
31. Paper fortune tellers
No special supplies are needed for this timeless kid's activity. Just grab a sheet of paper, cut and fold to make a fortune teller game.
Discover how to make a fortune teller with our simple step-by-step guide.
32. DIY play dough
All you need is a few kitchen cupboard basics to make your own play dough; vegetable oil, salt, plain flour and food colouring.
Check out the video and step by step guide to how to make homemade play dough and give it a go.
33. Jam jar snow globes
Looking for festive arts and crafts to do at home? You don't need a specialist snow globe kit to make your very own shaker snow globe - grab a jam jar from your recycling box and try this easy DIY version - kids will love it!
Most DIY methods involve adding a bit of glycerin to the water, but you can experiment with swapping this out for baby oil or a bit of clear glue. You don't have to make them festive either – try adding lego mini-figures, old Kinder Egg toys inside.
34. Washi tape hop scotch
Ah, finally a practical and pretty way to use up that treasured washi tape from your craft kit! If you can't bear to part with the good stuff, this will also work with masking tape too.
Simply use the tape to mark out indoor hopscotch in any room of the house – this works on carpet or hard floors. If you need a hand with your set up, check out this post by Ashley Hackshaw for Easy Outdoor and Indoor Games.
35. Pavement chalk drawings
We've got tons of arts and crafts ideas but this one is perfect for little artists. Grab a set of coloured chalks and head to your front porch, path or back garden patio to get the kids drawing outside! We have lots of chalk ideas if you are running low on ideas.
36. Paper crowns
Make your child feel like a king or queen by helping them to make their own paper crown! You can make a whole batch of them for parties and get children to decorate their own with glitter, stars or anything else you can think of.
Learn how to make a paper crown with Gathered's step-by-step guide.
37. Pom poms
Another age-old classic craft to try is pom pom making! You'll need oddments of wool from your craft kit or cupboard, cut two circles out of cardboard and get winding to make your own pom poms.
Can't quite remember how it's done? Check out our how to make a pom pom tutorial.
38. French knitting
Another yarn-based activity that kids will love is to try French knitting. This is a very basic knitting technique that children will pick up really quickly!
You can stitch their knitting into spirals to make homemade placemats for the dining table.
39. Magic scratch pictures
Create magical rainbow artworks using the scratch picture or sgraffito method! You won't need a lot for this activity, just crayons, black paint, a paintbrush and something to scratch with.
Toothpicks, kitchen skewers all work well for the scratching part! For the full tutorial, check out our sgraffito for beginners guide.
40. Homemade stamps
Stamps are always loved by little kids, they're fun and easy! Why not do the old fashioned way of creating your own stamps using potatoes. This craft can get a little messy though, so aprons at the ready! Try potato printing with this video guide from #MetKids.
41. Toilet roll animals
Make a zoo-full of all creatures great and small by grabbing some loo rolls and a few basic art and craft supplies. Transform your toilet rolls into your own mystical beings using crayons, pens or paint. Looking for some inspiration?
We like these toilet paper roll animal ideas or head to Hative for 60 homemade animal-themed toilet paper roll crafts.
Why stop at animals? Take a look at our toilet roll crafts for more fun ideas.
42. Friendship bracelets
When kids have to be apart, why not encourage them to craft a friendship bracelet for their pals? We have instructions and a video tutorial guide showing how to do three basic styles of the bracelet. Learn how to make friendship bracelets today.
43. Paper spring flowers
Celebrate spring all year round with these beautiful paper daffodils! We've got a full tutorial on how to make paper daffodils to show you how it's done.
44. Desk pals organiser set
Even if your little one's rooms are messy, this is a sure-fire way to at least keep their desks tidy! Find the instructions on how to make this trio in our best glue gun crafts article.
45. Pipe cleaner animals
One thing we love about crafts for kids is it can really be as simple as one pipe cleaner and your imagination. These fab pipe cleaner animals are by Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls.
46. Toilet roll cars
Finding crafts for kids has never been easier with A Little Pinch of Perfect's blog. They have lots of free craft activities including these fun little toilet paper cars.
The wheels are made from yoghurt/baby food lids! For more arts and crafts ideas using paper, check out our paper crafts for kids guide.
47. Spirographs
Do you remember Spirographs from your own childhood? They're a simple idea but strangely mesmerising (for kids and grown ups alike). We found this lovely DIY for how to make a handmade Spirograph.
48. Nature trail clay sculptures
Combine a walk in nature with supply collecting! Get the kids searching for leaves, seed pods and twigs. When you get home you can press your findings into clay to create nature sculptures.
We've found this handy DIY over on the My Plum Pudding blog.
49. Loom bands
You can choose from thousands of colours and patterns for your loom creations! They are so easy to twist into beautiful jewellery and countless other trinkets.
Follow along with our loom band tutorial to get started right now!
50. Shrink plastic handprint keyrings
Play around with hand prints then reach for some shrink plastic to turn them tiny to make your own DIY keyrings. They'll make lovely gifts to post to grandparents, friends and other family.
CraftBoxGirls has a great DIY for how to make your own handprint keychain.
51. Shrinky Dinks
Shrinky Dinks the brand was big in the 80s. Kids could colour in these line art drawings, pre-printed on special thin plastic sheets which, when heated would shrink right down to become thicker and more rigid.
What is makes shrinky dinks such an easy craft for kids? It’s because shrink plastic is so fun to use and almost magical in the way it transforms. Shrink plastic is one of those materials that really benefits from some fun experimentation.
52. DIY air dry clay
Air dry clay has become increasingly popular in recent years and it's easy to see why: it can be made into any shape you want and decorated with colourful paints.
Kids will love sculpting their own designs, or you can cut out shapes with cookie cutters for them to paint.
Did you know that you can make air dry clay at home? Get started with Gathered's how to make air dry clay guide.
Once you've made your clay, head over to our air dry clay ideas for lots of creative inspiration!
53. Drawing ideas for kids
Drawing is a brilliant activity for kids! It allows them to let their imaginations run wild and holding a pencil will help them to develop their fine motor skills.
If they're having trouble deciding what to draw, browse through our easy drawing ideas for kids – they're bound to find one that they want to try.
Beat boredom with fun arts and crafts for kids
When kids are off school (or if the weather's bad) it's easy for them to become bored and restless. Picking up a fun craft project can keep them out of mischief and help them to explore their creative side.
Younger kids will enjoy getting stuck into arts and crafts with a little grown-up help, while older children can build their confidence by crafting without adult support.
We've got so many arts and crafts ideas for kids to keep them amused. You never know, you might discover a new hobby too!
Easy face painting ideas for kids
Turn your kids into tigers, monsters or princesses with Gathered's easy face painting ideas for kids.
