Crafts

Crafts is a great way to engage your children offline and something you can enjoy too.

Thankfully the days of finger painting and junk modelling are behind you, so now you can really embrace a full range of crafts that interest you too.

There are so many to try and we will take a look at just a few, but the only limitation is really your imagination, so let Pinterest be your guide and explore the world of arts and crafts! Slime We couldn’t do a craft section without mentioning slime somewhere.

Easy to make and can keep the kids entertained for hours.

There are a number of recipes online, but we find the best ones use contact lens solution (just check it contains boric acid), like the one below: 120ml PVA glue ½ Tbsp of bicarbonate of soda ½ cup of shaving foam (not gel) 1 Tbsp of contact lens solution (containing boric acid) Food colouring and glitter optional Start with a big bowl and the glue, then add 2 Tbsp of water and stir, add the saving foam then stir, add the bicarb and then stir followed by any colouring or glitter you want to use and then stir.

It can get very messy at this stage so just a word of caution, then slowly add the contact lens solution and slowly stir until you have the right consistency and it’s nice and elastic.

Start kneading together and if too sticky, add a little more contact lens solution and continue kneading until you’ve guessed it… you’ve made slime! This is great fun for kids of all ages, just make sure you have an airtight container to keep it in when finished. Rock Painting Easy to do and you might even have everything you need at home too – bonus.

Find or buy some smooth shaped rocks or stones, if you don’t have any in your garden then go for a walk and see what you can find (anything to get out and enjoy some fresh air) and then get creative with sharpies or even better acrylic pens.

We’ve seen some amazing designs from mandalas and rocks painted like cactus and placed in brightly coloured plant pots to animals and cartoon characters.

Then, if you have one locally, Love on the Rocks is a great thing to do with all your newly decorated rocks.

Simply hide the rocks around your local area for other children to find and then re-hide – great for exploring your local village or town or just a nice way to encourage your children to go for a walk – check your local Facebook page to see if you have one set up in your area, if not then why not start one yourself. Paper Quilling Not the first thing that people opt for, but great fun.

Using thin strips of paper, you twist them around a special tool or you could use a pencil or thin paintbrush handle, then shape the paper quills to different shapes and stick them onto paper or card.

There are lots of kits you can buy, or just start with coloured paper you have at home and a thin paintbrush.

You can use paper quilling to make cards, pictures or just for fun.

There are loads of videos on YouTube and ideas on Pinterest to get you started. Tie Dyeing Tie dyeing seems to be back and is a nice way to spend half a day, although you will most likely need to be organised and get some supplies in.

You will need a selection of white tops, bags, hats or even canvas shoes, dyes and rubber bands or string, then get knotting.

There are plenty of tutorials online or you can buy a kit, although some are better than others, so do check the reviews.

It is usually best to wash the clothes prior to dyeing as they will take the colour better and unless you have done it before, take a look at how to tie the items prior to dyeing to get the desired look you are after, as they don’t all turn out the same. Painting This has been a massive eye-opener over lockdown and the results are amazing.

Look on YouTube for some painting tutorials and then leave your child to it, or why not do one each as a family.

The tutorials are amazing and talk you through the steps to create an amazing piece of artwork which is great for those that don’t think they are that artistic – it really does show that we all have a creative side. We would love to see what you create, so please do share with us on our social media pages.

Sources: https://www.visiondirect.co.uk/blog/how-to-make-slime-with-contact-lens-solutio.

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Crafts is a great way to engage your children offline and something you can enjoy too.

Thankfully the days of finger painting and...