crafts Archives

Easy Lion Toilet Paper Roll Craft for Kids

May 4, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I was a child, I saw a cartoon that was set in the jungle. The animals had an issue and they decided to consult the lion for help.

The lion was seated on a throne and wearing a crown. Which suited him as the “king of the jungle”.

I still think of lions as the overseers of the jungle to this day. But it’s okay to make lions look a little cute too.

And this easy lion toilet paper roll craft is a super cute lion art activity for kids!

Fun and Easy Lion Toilet Paper Roll Craft

This would make a great activity for a jungle unit, especially since it only requires a few ordinary supplies.

It’s also a cool recycled materials craft, because it uses a toilet paper roll. Save a few empty rolls and make an entire lion pride!

Get the full instructions to make this easy lion craft for kids below.

And – be sure to read how to make a paper bag fox craft too!

Make this easy toilet paper roll lion craft with the kids for a fun art activity!

Easy Lion Toilet Paper Roll Craft for Kids

To make this simple lion toilet paper roll craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

If you’re making this with a very young child, you might need to help him or her cut out the pieces of the printable lion craft template.

After you’ve printed the template, cut out the pieces and trace the outlines onto yellow, orange, and beige construction paper.

Cut out each piece of construction paper and you’re ready to get started!

How to Make a Toilet Paper Roll Lion Craft

Glue the “face” onto the center of the “mane”. Then glue each “paw” onto the bottom of each “arm”.

Finally, glue the “tail tuft” onto the end of the “tail”.

Now add eyes, a nose, and a mouth – and freckles, if you’d like.

You can either draw eyes on white paper and cut them out to add to the face. Or just let the child draw the eyes directly on the face.

Simple Toilet Paper Roll Lion Craft for Kids

Time to make the body!

Cut out a piece of yellow construction paper. Use a length that covers the toilet paper roll when wrapped around it.

Glue the construction paper to the toilet paper roll. You might need to secure the edges with tape.

Glue the beige “belly” to the center of the toilet paper roll.

Use glue to attach the lion’s arms to the top left and right corners of the “belly”.

Then glue the lion’s face to the top of the toilet paper roll, centering it over the belly and arms.

Finally, glue the tail to the bottom of the back side of the toilet paper roll.

The end of the tail tuft should be sticking up toward the mane.

All done!

Feel free to have kids draw a jungle backdrop to complete a jungle scene featuring their lion!

If you make this easy lion toilet paper roll craft, I’d love to hear how your kids enjoyed it!

Don’t miss these other fun animal crafts for kids!

Take a trip to the zoo with this cute coffee filter elephant craft for kids!

Easy Shape Car Craft for Kids

April 23, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Learning shapes is such a fun skill for early grades!

We’ve used lots of learning ideas to cover this concept with young learners, including shape sorting mats and shape flashcards.

But a simple, hands-on way to teach shape recognition is to use an easy shape craft – like this shape car craft!

This is such an easy and fun way to work on this concept!

Plus, it combines both math and art for a STEAM project you can do with young students at math centers or for homework.

Get the full instructions (and the free template) below.

And, for more fun with simple shapes, check out our simple School Bus Shape Craft too!

Make up this quick and easy shape car craft with the kids! Great for math and art in one simple activity!

How to Use a Shape Craft to Teach Geometry

How can you use this shape car craft for a simple geometry lesson?

As you are helping kids cut out the shapes on the paper template, stop and help them identify each one.

The template includes a rectangle, four circles, two squares, a triangle, and even a trapezoid.

Super Easy Shape Car Craft for Kids to Make

Prompt the student to use each correct shape name as they work on making the car.

Be sure to identify each shape as you give directions. For example, “Glue the rectangle to the bottom of the trapezoid.”

What Supplies Do I Need to Make a Shape Craft?

To make this easy shape craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Child-safe scissors
Glue stick
Washable markers (optional)
Colored pencils (optional)
A copy of our printable Shape Car Craft template (black/white) (color)

If you’re using the color shape craft template, then you can skip the markers.

The colored pencils are also optional, because they’re only used for adding detail to the finished cars.

How to Make a Shape Car Craft with Kids

To make this shape car craft, start by printing the template.

Help your child cut out all of the shapes.

Depending on the age, you may need to help with the smaller pieces.

Start by gluing the rectangle to the bottom of the trapezoid.

Glue the triangle on the left side of the trapezoid. This will be the car’s front windshield.

Then glue the two squares in a row behind the triangle. They form the side windows of the car.

Glue the two black circles onto the bottom of the rectangle. Add the two grey circles in the center of each black circle.

Now your wheels are done!

Simple Shape Car Craft to Make With Kids

If you like, use markers or colored pencils to add edging on the windows and windshield.

You can also draw red triangles on each end of the rectangle to make headlights and taillights.

Or add a triangle on the front and a rectangle at the back to form the lights too!

All done! Time to take your new cars out for a spin!

Need more simple crafts for kids to make? Try these too!

Simple Train Tape Resist Craft

April 14, 2020 by Selena Robinson 6 Comments

Tape resist crafts are such a fun way to make art with kids!

You only need a few supplies, no one has to have special artistic talent, and they can be awesome projects for several kids to work on together!

Since my kids are super into Thomas the Train right now, I thought they’d enjoy making a simple train tape resist craft and they definitely did!

It taught them a lot about making art, working together, and creating freely.

I hope that you’ll enjoy this craft too!

And if you do, be sure to try some of our simple coffee filter crafts for kids or this list of super easy crafts you can do in just 10 minutes!

Simple Train Tape Resist Craft

To make this train tape resist craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

To get started, I drew a very, very simple outline of a train in pencil on a piece of posterboard.

And by simple, I mean literally put together with shapes.

I used a ruler to draw a triangle for the funnel, rectangles for the body and windows, another triangle for the buffer, and circles for the wheels.

Then Jay laid masking tape on the outline to protect it from the artistic endeavors to come.

We left the wheels uncovered, because it is nearly impossible to shape masking tape into a circle.

Time to break out the oil pastels…And let the kids loose!

They were a little reluctant to color freely at first. They kept coloring the way you do in coloring books.

We kept reminding them that this was a free art exercise where they could color where they wanted and how they wanted.

They even got to color over each other’s work.

Halfway through, Roo looked at me and said “I like arting.” *Fist pump*

Here’s the finished poster with the tape still attached.

We peeled off the tape and ta-da!

A modern art-inspired wall art piece for the boys’ room that they made themselves!

Isn’t it colorful?

We didn’t intend to draw it, but the black smudge in the second window kind of looks like a bear that hitched a ride.

Try some of these other easy crafts for kids!

Easy Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft for Kids

March 24, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I grew up in a small town. A very small town. The population was somewhere around 500 people.

Naturally, there weren’t a ton of things to do for fun.

So the annual county fair was a big deal for the kids in the area. We went every year.

Whenever we’d get close, I’d start watching for the lights on the midway and the top of the Ferris wheel going around and around.

You could usually see it a mile away.

So I still have a soft spot in my heart for Ferris wheels. And that’s why this easy coffee filter Ferris Wheel craft was so fun to make!

Fun and Easy Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft

This is an excellent crafting project for early elementary kids. It’s great for strengthening fine motor skills, but it’s easy enough to finish in about 10 minutes.

Perfect if you’re looking for a fun indoor art activity for kids!

Read on to see the full directions. And, for more crafting fun, don’t miss my list of preschool crafts you can do in just 10 minutes!

Share a simple craft for kids with this easy and fun Ferris Wheel Coffee Filter Craft!

Easy Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft for Kids

To make this easy Ferris Wheel craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Making a Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft

To begin, find a brightly colored piece of construction paper and turn it vertically.

You need enough space to add the Ferris Wheel and the support stand at the bottom.

Use a glue stick to attach the coffee filter on the top center of the construction paper.

How to Make a Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft

Draw a colored circle in the center of the coffee filter. I added a yellow cut-out star, but you don’t have to.

Use a black crayon or a black marker to add spokes coming out of the circle in the center. There should be eight in all.

Now use child-safe scissors to cut the “seats” out of construction paper.

The shape I used is flat on the top and rounded on the bottom, but you could use rectangles, squares, circles – really any shape is fine.

Before you glue the construction paper “seats” onto the wheel, lay them out and make sure that you can fit them all onto the coffee filter.

You want the seats to hang just a little below the white filter – just like they do on a Ferris Wheel!

When you’re sure you can get all eight onto the circle, glue them down.

Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft for Kids

Note: You might have to extend the black “spokes” out to connect all the way to the seats.

Now all that’s left is to add the stand!

Easy Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft for Kids

Use a colored marker or a bright crayon to outline the stand legs. Then color them in!

Add a few gold stars and we’re all done!

How to Make an Easy Coffee Filter Ferris Wheel Craft

This is such a fun craft to add to a spring or fall unit!

Or you can share it with students in small art groups or with your own kids at home.

If you make this, I’d love to see how it worked out. Feel free to share pictures of your projects in the comments!

Don’t miss these other simple crafts for kids!

Gather a few household supplies and make this easy coffee filter Ferris wheel craft! So fun for indoor crafting!

20 Fun Clothespin Puppets for Kids to Make

November 21, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Have you ever put on a puppet show with the kids?

We’ve done it a few times and they always had a blast with their puppet characters.

We’d usually have rehearsed lines in advance, but someone always wanted to improvise and take the story in a different direction.

Which is part of the fun!

When we’ve made puppets, we usually make them out of paper bags. But there are so many ways to make puppets at home, including these super cute clothespin puppets for kids!

There are so many different characters you can make out of clothespins, including animals, snowmen, and more. These would make wonderful prompts for creative writing and story retelling!

Read on to get some clothespin crafts inspiration! And for more fun with puppets, check out our Farm Paper Bag Puppets for kids to make too!

20 Fun Clothespin Puppets for Kids to Make

1. Cat Clothespin Puppet – Easy Peasy and Fun

2. Squirrel Clothespin Puppets – As the Bunny Hops

3. Giraffe Clothespin Puppet – Delia Creates

4. Dragon Clothespin Puppet – Adventure in a Box

5. Unicorn Clothespin Doll – Kids Craft Room

6. Shark Clothespin Puppets – Easy Peasy and Fun

7. Clothespin Dinosaurs – Crafts by Amanda

8. Llama Clothespin Puppets – Inspiration Made Simple

9. Clothespin Wrap Dolls – This Heart of Mine

10. Clothespin Mermaid Doll – Benzie Design

Check out more clothespin puppets and dolls kids can make below!

11. DIY Flower Fairy Clothespin Dolls – Crafts Unleashed

12. Super Hero Clothespin Dolls – All Free Kids Crafts

13. Chinese Dragon Clothespin Puppets – Easy Peasy and Fun

14. Unicorn Clothespin Puppets – Moms and Crafters

15. Pelican Clothespin Puppet – As the Bunny Hops

16. Clothespin Fish – Crafts by Amanda

17. Snowman Puppets – Moms and Crafters

18. Clothespin Monster Puppets – Our Whimsical Days

19. Clothespin Girls – Ginger Cake

20. Alligator Clothespin Puppet – Kids Activities Blog

Did you like these clothespin puppets for kids? Try some of these other easy crafts the kids can make!

Follow my Simple Crafts for Kids board on Pinterest for more easy kids’ crafts!

Easy Scrapbook Paper Pumpkin Craft

October 29, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Have you ever gone on a craft supply shopping spree? And then realized that you have way too much of something?

I have.

When we first moved into our present house, I learned about a simple way to add color to your bedroom walls – scrapbook paper!

Naturally, I bought tons of it.

Which left me with packs and packs of scrapbook paper to do…something with.

Enter this easy scrapbook paper pumpkin craft!

If you’re looking for a simple way to add easy fall decor to your home or classroom, these scrapbook paper pumpkins are perfect!

And they’re simple enough that kids can help you make them!

Get the full project instructions below!

And for more pumpkin-themed activities, take a look at our Pumpkin Size Sorting Game and our Pumpkin Pie Fraction Clip Cards!

Easy Scrapbook Paper Pumpkin Craft

What I love about this simple paper pumpkin craft is that you probably already have everything you need to make it.

But if you’re not a craft supply hoarder (like…ahem…someone I know), here’s a list of what you’ll need to make a paper pumpkin craft.

To make this scrapbook paper pumpkin craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

2-3 sheets of autumn-themed scrapbook paper or patterned cardstock in complimentary colors/patterns
Brass paper fasteners
Hole punch
Scissors or a paper cutter
Ruler or yardstick
Pen or pencil
Leaf template (I made this free download) or you can buy these leaf tags on Amazon
Ribbon in complimentary colors/patterns
Beads, buttons, or other decorative accessories

Using a ruler or yardstick and pen or pencil, measure and mark 1-inch increments across a piece of scrapbook paper, about two inches from the edge.

Repeat about 3/4 of the way above the first set of marks. Connect the lines and cut.

If you have a paper cutter, you can use this instead.

Approximately 1/4” from the end of the strip, punch a hole in each end of the strip.

Repeat until all strips have holes in both ends.

Place the cut pieces of paper in the order of pattern/color you want. Line up the holes and place a brass paper fastener in one end.

Place a brass paper fastener in the other end. Fan out the pieces to fashion it after a pumpkin.

Print out the template and cut out the leaves. Trace the leaf outlines onto a piece of scrapbook paper and cut them out.

Tape or glue the paper leaves to the top of the pumpkin. Add ribbons, buttons or any other decorations you’d like.

Ta-da! We’re all done!

Make your scrapbook paper pumpkins in several colors and place them everywhere: on the mantle, on a coffee table, or even hang them over a window!

In a classroom, you might want to tape a few around the whiteboard or on the corner of your desk.

Let the kids make one and place them on their desks too!

Don’t miss these other fall themed crafts!

See more ways to make the most of autumn on my Fall Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Over 75 Adorable Apple Crafts for Kids

August 15, 2019 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Nothing says “fall” like apples. We don’t really start to see apples on trees around here until late August, but I wanted to start planning some of our fall crafts as early as possible this year.

And that’s why I’ve rounded up over 75 adorable and easy apple crafts for kids to make!

Apples are associated with fall, but they’re also associated with back to school time, so these are perfect for fall crafting or even late summer crafting (if you’re really psyched about apple season).

Fall is easily my favorite season of the year. And we try to make it as educational as we can each school year.

If you want to add even more fall learning fun with your kids, don’t miss our Apple Alike! Same or Different Worksheets or our Apple Life Cycle Sequencing Activity!

Over 75 Fun and Easy Apple Crafts for Kids

1. Coffee Filter Apple Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Paper Plate Apple Craft – Midlife Healthy Living

3. Sew an Apple Fall Craft – Mommy Evolution

4. Tissue Paper Plate Apple Craft – Jinxy Kids

5. Apple Craft with Pool Noodles – Gluesticks and Gum Drops

6. Marble Painting Apple Craft – The Crafting Chicks

7. Bubble Wrap Painting Apple Craft – Typically Simple

8. Back to School Button Craft – Laura’s Crafty Life

9. Pony Bead Apple Craft for Kids – It Happens in a Blink

10. Paper Apple Weaving Craft – Arty Crafty Kids

11. Apple Tree Kids Craft – A Night Owl Blog

12. Tissue Paper Apple Craft – Messes to Memories

13. Easy Paper Apple Craft – Sweet Silly Sara

14. Apple Footprint Craft – Raising Little Superheroes

15. Yarn Apple Garland Craft – Red Ted Art

16. Felt Apple Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

17. Yarn Apple Craft for Kids – About a Mom

18. Apple Tree Circle Punch Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

19. Paper Cup Apple Shaker – Crafts on Sea

20. Apple Birdseed Bird Feeders – Natural Beach Living

21. Pom Pom Apple Tree Craft – Crafts on Sea

22. Apple Suncatchers – Crafty Mama in Me

23. Paper Plate Apple Craft – It Happens in a Blink

24. Tissue Paper Apple Tree Craft – Fantastic Fun and Learning

25. Puffy Paint Caramel Apple Craft – I Heart Arts and Crafts

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Easy Shape School Bus Craft for Kids

July 23, 2019 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

I know it’s still technically summer, but school in our area starts next week, so we’re fully in the back to school spirit around here.

And that means school shopping, open house events, and weeknight meal planning – all of which I’ve been frantically doing for the last couple of days.

Our kids are pretty excited about school this year (so far), but if you have little ones who are…less than enthusiastic about going back to school, a fun way to get them in the mood is to make a cute back to school craft.

Which is where this easy shape school bus craft for kids might come in handy!

This is such a simple way to start getting kids to think about school and learning for the new school year!

Read on to see how to make this for yourself. And for more fun with kids’ crafts, take a look at our easy Ladybug Paper Craft!

Easy Shape School Bus Craft for Kids

To make this easy shape school bus craft for kids, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

A copy of our printable school bus craft template
Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Scissors
Glue stick
Ballpoint pen

To start, print out the school bus craft template. Since the template already has colored shapes, you can just print and get started without having kids color it in.

Use scissors to cut out all of the shapes on the template. (If your child is cutting the shapes out, be sure to use child-safe scissors.)

To make the school bus, begin adding the blue squares and rectangles to the yellow rectangle.

Glue them down. Place the blue rectangular piece second in line to serve as the “door” of the bus.

Next, glue the gray small circles onto the center of the larger black circles. These are the bus’s “tires”. Glue those on the bottom edge of the yellow rectangle.

Add the half circle and triangle shapes to each end of the bus as the vehicle’s lights. Glue those in place.

Finally, use an ink pen to trace the outline of each window and door and you’re done!

The blue bus would make a great craft for a transportation unit, because you could talk about public buses and how they serve the community.

And, since all of the bus template pieces are basic shapes, this would be a wonderful craft for a shapes lesson too!

Don’t miss these other easy kids’ crafts!

Be sure to follow my Simple Crafts for Kids board on Pinterest!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Simple Coffee Filter Jellyfish Craft

June 10, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

A few years ago, we got to visit the Georgia Aquarium. It was incredible.

The kids gathered around each display to look at amazing sea creatures, from Beluga whales to otters.

Some of the animals that caught my eye, though, were the jellyfish. I had never seen them up close before and I’d only ever heard horror stories from childhood classmates who were stung by them at the beach.

I had no clue that jellyfish were so gorgeous. They are truly beautiful.

And now that summer is here (yay!), I wanted to make a new coffee filter craft for kids. So why not try a coffee filter jellyfish craft?

This is a super easy and fun summer craft to share with little ones during the warm weather. It’d also make a perfect addition to an ocean or beach unit study!

Read on to get the full project instructions. And, for more fun with summer crafting, try our Coffee Filter Crab Craft as well!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Simple Coffee Filter Jellyfish Craft

To make this coffee filter jellyfish craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

To get started, use the scissors to cut the coffee filter horizontally. You’ll want to cut about one-third of it off of the bottom.

Use a black crayon to draw the eyes and smiley mouth on the jellyfish.

Now, color the entire coffee filter with a bright color. You can use any color you like here, because jellyfish come in a huge variety of colors.

We went with red purple for a nice contrast to the blue of the construction paper.

After you finish coloring the coffee filter, use a glue stick to glue it near the center of the paper. Make sure the paper is laid vertically. You’ll need room at the bottom for the jellyfish tentacles.

Making an Easy Coffee Filter Jellyfish Craft

Use the scissors to cut a few pieces of ribbon from the spool. We only cut five, but you can cut as many as you like.

Carefully lift the bottom of the coffee filter and lay each piece of ribbon underneath. Space them out so that they’re fairly evenly distributed.

Stick them to the paper with the glue stick and then press the coffee filter back on top to keep them in place.

If you want the tentacles to look a little curly, run each piece of ribbon against the open pair of scissors. You’ll see each ribbon start to curl afterwards. (Only an adult should perform this part to avoid cutting little fingers, even with child-safe scissors.)

Draw a few ocean waves at the top and the bottom and you’re done!

Did you enjoy making this easy coffee filter jellyfish craft? Try some of these other summer crafts for kids!

And follow my Summer Activities for Kids board on Pinterest for even more fun summer ideas!

Easy Paper Roll Rocket Craft for Kids

May 27, 2019 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Summer is my favorite time of year. By far.

But it’s also the time when the kids and I are most relaxed with our learning. Even though we have school year-round, we tend to take it easy during the summer months. It gives us more time for the beach (a requirement each year).

So it’s always fun to try some easy summer crafts during our learning downtime. And that’s why I love this easy paper roll rocket craft!

It’s a simple project that you can make with the kids in just a few minutes. And, if you’re studying space over the summer, it’d be a perfect fit for a solar system unit study!

Read on to see how to make this easy kids’ craft yourself!

Want more fun craft projects to try? Don’t miss our easy toilet roll butterfly craft!

Easy Paper Roll Rocket Craft for Kids

I love how simple this project is! It’s perfect for crafting with the kids during summer break.

Plus, it’s fun to take outside and pretend to fly. Just hand one to your little one and watch them zoom around pretending to take off into space!

To make this simple paper rocket craft for kids, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

To start, cut the paper towel roll into two pieces. One piece should be slightly longer than the other.

We’re making two paper roll rocket crafts out of one paper towel roll.

Paint each piece of the paper towel roll. We used a yellow paint, but any color will do.

Let the paint dry completely.

Trace the lid of a mason jar or cup twice onto a colored piece of cardstock. You will be making one cone-shaped top for each rocket.

Use scissors to cut out each circle. Afterward, cut one slit to the center on each circle.

Remember: if you want the kids to help with this part, use child-safe scissors that are safe for little fingers.

Form each circle into a cone shape by pulling the two ends together. Use the hot glue gun to seal each cone closed.

NOTE: Use caution with working with hot glue around small children.

Now cut four triangles about three to four inches wide from the colored cardstock. You’ll use two of these for each rocket.

Working from the top of each triangle, cut a slit from the point down, stopping just before the bottom of each triangle.

Carefully cut four slits onto the bottom of each painted tube. Make sure that each cut is directly across from the cut on the opposite side.

Slide one triangle up through two bottom slits. The triangle should be placed in two slits that are diagonal.

Then slide the second triangle through the other two slits. This triangle will crisscross the other, forming an X at the bottom of the rocket.

Now cut six quarter-sized circles from the colored cardstock.

Use the hot glue gun to glue three circles onto each paper towel roll.

And we’re done! Look how bright and colorful these rocket crafts are!

Such a fun and easy project for the kids!

Looking for more simple crafts? Check out these easy projects!

Want more fun craft ideas? Follow our Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!