Have you ever been faced with a pack of restless kids who are itching to get outdoors but the rain simply won’t let up? Even when it’s just a fine mist, there’s nothing much they can do and you certainly don’t want mud tracked in the house, so you are at your wits’ end trying to find something to fill their time.
Actually, all it takes is a bit of your time and a few art and craft supplies to keep them busy, even on the most boring of rainy days. Here are a few really fun (and easy!) papercraft projects your kids will love. What better way to spend quality time with them while keeping them out of mischief?
1. Origami Finger Puppets
There is nothing more entertaining than finger puppets, especially for little people not yet in school. This is an ideal project for children ages 4 through 7 and something you can quite easily do with supplies you have around the house as well as a couple of items you may need to purchase from an art and craft supply merchant. One of the easiest DIY origami finger puppet tutorials is on the Martha Stewart website but some parents like to add a bit of Mod Podge to keep the puppets together once they are folded.
2. Swirly Whirly Paper Flowers
Although children will need to use scissors for this project, the one thing you might want to know is that even those rounded point children’s scissors work well when making the swirls. Look for pictures and project instructions here. These paper flowers resemble hyacinths and since they can be made with longish stems, it is quite easy to place them in a plastic bottle or stick them in a basket which can adorn your dining room table at meals.
3. Paper Plate Fish
What child doesn’t love to paint? While this particular project calls for acrylic paints, parents can choose water-based colours safer for the younger lot. They are easy to make and with those glue-on eyes, your little people will have a world of fun making all sorts of paper plate tropical fish to hang on their walls. As an added tip, why not use the skill learned in making those swirly whirly flowers above with green paper to make seaweed to be placed under and around the fish? Paste it all together with that Mod Podge on a big sheet of poster board and they will have a delightful paper aquarium for their room!
Kids do love art and craft projects and this is something they will have loads of fun doing with mum and/or dad on those days when they need something to keep those little fingers out of trouble. Take the time to do these fun and easy papercraft projects with your kids and see how quickly those little ones get in the spirit of things. There’s really nothing quite like spending quality time as a family and this is one activity that will keep everyone away from the digital realm, even if only for a short time. The family that plays together stays together, so let the fun begin!
