8 Indoor Craft Ideas For Kids

Toothpick Shapes Insert toothpicks into marshmallows. Add marshmallows to create any shape you would like. You can include one or more marshmallows. Examples of the shapes you can include: star, hexagon or complex structures such as tall building  

Finger Painting This could get a bit messy - So choose a spot which could easily be cleaned. Put some aprons on your kids. Get some water soluble finger paints. Place a large chart or perhaps a paper or even a canvas - whatever is accessible. Now, just like the name of the craft suggests, your little one will dip his/her fingers in to the paints and paint on the paper (using his/her fingers). This is real fun craft.  

Heart Shape Grab a piece of cardboard - Print out a heart template. Trace the heart shape on to the cardboard. You can stick some coloured paper on to the cut out cardboard. You child can decorate the heart shape as she wishes. Finally create a hole near the top of the heart shape and pass a string through it. Your child now hang the heart in his/her room.  

Memory Box You'll need an old shoe box (which has a lid) - Take some decorative paper or kids art paper (painting) and glue it on the the box. Your child can decorate the box as he/she wishes. This box may be used to store any keepsakes he/she likes.  

Foil Shapes Get a sheet of aluminium foil and squeeze it -  shape it into something fun. Use more aluminium foil if you think you'll need more to create your desired shape. Use some glue and mount it on a popsicle. You should use some yarn and fix some hair. These are now your puppets - recreate a scene from your child's favourite book.You've got a puppet show in your hands.  

Make Stamps Cut out desired shapes out of a rubber eraser. You may also use fork or cork or cardboard. If the shape is two thin, stick the design to a popsicle - otherwise your fingers will get messy with the ink. Dip the shapes onto ink pad and press on paper.  

Painting This is the ever green craft activity. Painting can be done on a piece of paper or on a canvas.   

Paper Phone Take two paper cups. Poke holes with the nail in the bottom of the two cups. Push the string through the outside of the first cup and tie it to the paper clip on the inside. Tie other end of the string to the second cupmuch the same way. Now your phone is there to use.  Always be on the look out for some sale items in your local craft shop. I subscribe to the newsletter of my local craft shop. This way I get to know what sales they are having - I store up on some good craft goodies this way for the rainy day.

OzKidsActivities is Australia’s most comprehensive online directory for all kinds of activities for kids – birthday party venues, classes, school holiday workshops, entertainment venues etc etc.

Simon Says

This is the old, tested and tried game...Its a game which always works. It works if you have one kid or a group of kids. And it works for younger and older kids. For younger ones it can also work as a learning game. You can try things like Simon Says 'touch your toes', Simon says 'count till ten' and don't forget to throw in the occasional 'Andy says'. This way you can test if they are listening to you attentively or not and forces them to listen carefully. For slightly older kids try something a bit harder...Try playing the whole game faster (ie give the instructions a bit faster).

Egg And Spoon Race

This is when you have a group of kids at your place. Give each one a plastic spoon and a plastic egg. If you haven't got a plastic egg use around 10 dried beans or a small potato. Get them to move from one end of the backyard to the other with the plastic egg on the spoon (and the aim is to not let the egg fall from the spoon).

Make a number

This is an excellent game to teach kids addition. Give them some marbles (may be around 40). If you dont have marbles give them some dried beans. Get them to make a number in all the ways they can (using the marbles/beans). Example: For number 5 they have to place 3 and 2 marbles in one group, 2 and 3 in one group, 4 and 1 in one group AND 1 and 4 in one group.

What about "car wash"

Get the kids to help you to wash the car. Give them their own bucket and sponge. They love it !!! Sometimes they do a better job than the adults...

Teddy Bear Picnic

Pack some lunch in a lunch box. Place the lunch box, water bottle and some dessert in a basket. Take a mat. And dont forget the teddy bear. My daughter always packs a plate and a spoon for the teddy bear too. Spread the mat in the backyard. And if you can play some music then go on and do that (not too loud or it might annoy your neighbours). Enjoy the picnic.

Hopscotch

All that you need for this activity is a piece of chalk...Kids love to hop and skip. They can spend hours in the backyard playing hopscotch. May be you can also join them for a game or two. Hop and skip and have fun...