8 Creative Things For Kids To Do Over The Summer Holidays
July 31, 2020
The world has certainly been turned upside down for us all, but it’s been particularly hard for our young ones over the last 4 months - not quite understanding why they can’t play at the park or hug their best friend in the playground must have been and still is really hard.
So after a few months of boredom and mostly staying indoors why not take it back to basics this summer with creative activities and gift making. Ignite their own imagination instead of spending the summer in front of the tv or giving them the ipad for the afternoon just to keep them quiet. We’ve rounded up some of our favourite kids summer DIY activities to share with you, so let their creativity run riot!
Tie Dye Picnic Blanket
It seems as though everyone has gone crazy for tie-dye over lockdown - but have you tried tie dying a picnic blanket? Choose a plain blanket (white works best) and tie with elastic bands as you would tie dying a T-shirt, now apply your colour generously to your bound areas and either wait for the dye to sink in or place in the microwave to speed up the process! Watch the video tutorial below from Club Crafted for best results!
Free, Printable Colouring In Pages
The lovely Louise over at Bookishly (one of our small business buddies) have created some colouring pages based on their famous hand drawn illustrations of classic authors, along with some activity sheets that total twelve pages of jam-packed colouring. It’s completely free to download and all you need is a printer! The set includes William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, L. Frank Baum, Jane Austen, Frances Hodgson Burnett Lewis Carroll, and a colouring version of their female authors poster. The perfect rainy day activity for kids of all ages!
Homemade Scented Bubbles
Bubbles is always the go to activity with my little Niece Lily, she loves them so decided to add a little excitement to her bubbles by mixing colours and essential oils to the bubbles. This recipe from Handmade Charlotte is safe for kids and a great sensory experience. With a simple mixture of warm water, cornstarch syrup and washing up liquid you will have a bubbly concoction ready to go - all you need is to add colour and scent! Using an old plastic egg carton is a great way to store the liquid without any spills, with enough for one play session.
Here are some ideas of which colours to pair with different scents:
Red – cinnamon
Orange – sweet orange
Yellow – lemon
Green – peppermint
Blue – vanilla
Purple – lilac
Pink – grapefruit
Easy Peasy Rock Babies
I love this idea because it is a bit of a move on from the kindness rocks we shared with you a few months ago. These rock babies are a really fun and easy-to-do craft for young kids, and they are super cute! Simply collect some pebbles (from a lovely walk along the beach) wash and dry them, then cover them in bright paint. Once dry, stick on googly eyes and draw a mouth to complete the face. Then attach a felt nappy and there you have it! Your very own rock baby to take care of and play with. For the full guide click here.
You will need:
Acrylic Paint
Paintbrushes
Rocks
Felt
Scissors
Googly eyes
White tacky glue
DIY Unicorn Dreamcatchers
Kids can sometimes suffer with bad dreams, so a dream catcher is the perfect activity to help protect children from nightmares while they sleep. These dream catcher are also super amazing as they are unicorn themed, they are also surprisingly easy to make. Design them with your preference of flowers and ribbons for a totally unique dreamcatcher. Follow the step by step guide from Hello Wonderful here.
These bath bombs can be given as gifts or used by the kids themselves - there's no use of acid so it’s safe and the simple list of cupboard ingredients mean they are easy and affordable. Once made the fun lasts for weeks on end (depending on how often you use them and many you make of course!) If you’re giving as a gift, add a couple of bath bombs to a small drawstring gift bag and tie with a ribbon. You can use any essential oil and optional ingredients like sprigs of rosemary, mint or lavender to create your desired scent.
You will need:
2 cups bicarbonate of soda (sometimes called baking soda) – US/UK
Ice cube trays (silicon best – hearts work better than stars, don’t get shapes that are too intricate or have sharp corners that could break off) – US /UK
If they're too young for a real guitar (or you don’t want to racket on a sunday morning), then why not make mini banjos! These creative toys will keep them entertained for hours and are perfect for under 5’s. Follow the full guide here to learn how to make your own.
You will need:
Jumbo craft sticks – one per banjo
Loom Bands/elastic bands – four per banjo
Washi tape
Duct tape
Paint or something to decorate
Craft glue
Hallway Laser Maze
We know the summer in England isn’t always that sunny! So this activity is perfect for those rainy days when you can't get outside. This hallway laser maze is super simple with cheap and easy to find materials. Follow the full guide over at It’s Always Autumn. Once you’ve sourced your materials all that’s left to do is create your hallways maze, stick as you please to create a unique design every time.
You will need:
Masking tape
Crepe paper strips
Why make handmade?
Although all these activities are essentially for fun and keeping little ones active over the summer holidays it’s also a great way to introduce the love of handmade. They will get to experience the proud feeling of making something from scratch, understanding the time and effort that goes into creating products and also the care of looking after something which has been made with love.
I therefore hope some of the ideas I have suggested bring not only relief from the everyday pressure of finding things to do with the kids but also fun, joy and happiness into your lives over this summer.
As ever we love sharing these moments with you, so remember to tag us in social media, I can't wait to see what you have created.
