The school holidays are nearly upon us, giving your children plenty of exciting opportunities to get their creative hats on! Just because they’re not at school, it doesn’t mean their holiday fun can’t be educational, and kids’ arts and crafts provide the perfect opportunity to exercise their minds and get the creative juices flowing.
We know it can be tricky to keep coming up with ideas to keep their busy minds occupied. Inevitably, they’ll want something to do other than outdoor games, and this is where fun indoor crafts come in to keep them busy.
Seven of the Best Arts and Crafts Activities for Kids
In this blog, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular and engaging arts and crafts activities for kids. This includes ideas that are simple enough to be done at home without breaking the bank, giving your kids a wealth of activities that will keep them busy throughout the holidays – and beyond!
1. Collage Art for Kids
Collage art is an excellent creative activity for children of all ages. Arranging materials into an artwork of their own making allows their imaginations to run free, exercising their minds and encouraging creative thinking.
The great thing about collage art is that it can be as simple or as complex as your child’s skill level allows – there’s no wrong way to do it!
If your child is between 4 and 8, see this terrific collage set for little ones in our online store, which comes with pre-cut shapes to build designs of their choosing. However, collages can be made with any paper or fabric material you have on hand – just be sure to supervise small children when gluing materials together.
2. Mosaics for Kids
Mosaic is another great arty activity for children, allowing them to create their own designs or work within a template. Just like collage, there’s no wrong way to do it, but it can be just as satisfying as completing a puzzle – and just as mentally engaging, too.
Mosaic kits for kids are readily available, even for younger children. If you’re concerned about small pieces, this felt mosaic kit for 3–6-year-olds is an excellent option that doesn’t use any hard materials or adhesive.
3. Children’s Knitting Sets
Knitting is another fabulous activity that can easily absorb any free time your child might have. Those of us who knit regularly can testify to its engaging, addictive qualities – it’s an excellent way to focus the mind and stave off boredom.
There are knitting kits made specifically for children, with safe packaging, needles, tools and materials to allow young knitters to join in the fun.
The Buttonbag Learn How to Knit Kit is perfect for any child wanting to enhance their knitting skills. It was recently featured in our blog on What Toys are Trending in 2022, so be sure to check it out if you have aspiring knitters in your care.
4. Glitter Art
Glitter art is a timeless craft activity that never loses its popularity. For older children, it’s an excellent way of spicing up their regular creative endeavours, with an eye-catching charm that’s very fun to do!
Some glitter art makes use of containers full of liquid glue containing sprinkles of glitter, but there’s an even more fun way to do it; with the Djeco Glitter Butterflies kit, children simply peel off sticky tabs on sections of the pre-packaged artwork and sprinkle tubes of glitter over these tabs. This allows them to choose their own colours and ensure each sticky area has its own unique aesthetic.
5. Origami Kits for Kids
Origami is one of the most engaging pastimes for older kids and adults. It’s truly a hobby that can last a lifetime, with designs ranging from simple, foldable animals to complex creations. It’s an excellent example of a creative activity that engages the mind and encourages careful folding – vital skills that are transferrable to many other areas.
For beginners, an origami kit for kids is a wonderful gift. These kits come with special folding paper along with instruction booklets on how to precisely execute each design. Some of our favourites include:
- Origami Flower Lights
- Origami Tear Off Pad
- Origami Dinosaurs
- Origami: A Step-by-Step Introduction to the Art of Paper Folding
- Origami Monsters
Feel free to browse our origami kits to find one that suits your child’s interests and skill level.
6. Child-Safe Brush and Pen Art
It’s impossible to ignore the appeal of classic pen-and-paper art. However, it can sometimes be difficult to encourage children to engage with this art form, especially if they feel like they lack direction.
This may not always be the case, but if it is, we highly recommend enticing them with a set of professional-style pens, giving them the tools they need to feel adept at creating their art.
Djeco’s classic felt tip brushes are just the ticket: these colourful pens are double-sided with both a soft, brush-like end and a thinner and harder end that’s more suited to drawing. This set includes 10 colours and is ideal for children 3 and up.
7. Foil Art Projects for Kids
Foil art is great for creatives young and old, with a unique process that – just like origami – encourages careful precision to get right. But when your child does get it right, it’s extremely rewarding and provides hours of fun.
Foil art projects work by using a chisel to extract areas from a picture, exposing a sticky surface beneath. Little artists can then place coloured foil over the sticky area to fill in each artwork as they please. For young girls, a popular option from BrightMinds is the So Pretty Foil Pictures kit, featuring 4 unique pictures to fill out with glittering foil.
Find the Best Arts and Crafts for Kids at BrightMinds
As you can see, there are plenty of arts and crafts activities to keep your young creatives busy. BrightMinds’ online toy shop features a range of kids’ arts and crafts gifts – many more than the ones listed in this article – so explore the full range today!
For more information, feel free to contact us or explore our FAQs if you have any questions.
