Children’s craft activities that you can organise on a small budget

This is a collaborative post.

Finding entertainment for your children can be exhausting, especially if there is an age gap between siblings. A trip out would be nice, but the weather doesn’t always allow it. Also, you do have the purse strings to think about.

That is why a craft activity can provide the answer that you need. There is no age limit on some of these projects, and the creativity involved will give each child a unique experience. What’s more, it is fairly inexpensive to break out an artistic activity. So, let’s look at some of those cheap craft activities that you can plan on a budget.

Drawer Organisers

Finding entertainment for a child is difficult; however, it can be more challenging to get them to keep their rooms tidy. Why not combine both tasks into one by getting your kids to create their own drawer organisers.

All you need for this activity is an empty box, such as a cereal box, that is small enough to slide into a drawer. The goal is to cut it into the box to create different sections for your child’s things. A drawer organiser is great for children that are attending primary school, and it doesn’t cost you anything. All you need to buy is the regular craft supplies that you will need for many of the activities in this article. These include tissue paper, cardboard, string, sequins, glitter, etc.

Ball-In-A-Cup

Ball-in-a-cup is a game where a ball is attached to a cup by a long piece of string. The aim of the game is to flick the cup so that the ball lands inside. You can buy these already formed but it is a lot more fun to make them.

You can purchase plastic cups from your local supermarket, and it isn’t hard to find a cheap plastic ball from a nearby toy shop. Your job is to help them attach the string to both objects successfully. Your children will spend more time playing the game than doing the crafting part; however, it is a good way to keep them focused on something for an hour or more.

Rock Painting

It may not sound it at first, but there is plenty of fun to be had by painting rocks. All it requires is a healthy-sized rock from your garden or the local park and some paint. The fun of this activity isn’t the painting part, although it does keep the kids occupied for a while. You can ask them to paint a message or funny creature with the kid’s name attached and then place them somewhere around the local neighbourhood. 

People from school or your neighbours will come across these rocks and relay that information to your child. You can even make it a challenge to see whose rock gets discovered first. This isn’t a time-consuming activity, but you can involve other parents and their children to make it more exciting.

Lego Prints

Every household has a box of Legos stored somewhere. It is a toy that everyone knows how to use, and your box is going to be filled with all sorts of odds and ends that other parents most likely donated. Lego is a fun activity for younger children, but it also can provide you with a chance to try something more creative.

The unique shape of each Lego piece makes them perfect stamps. Try letting your kids dip the Lego in paint and see what bizarre images they can come up with. Lego prints are great because they let your children get messy in a controlled environment.

Photo Albums

If you are looking for an activity that the whole family can enjoy, then creating a family photo album is the perfect way to spend an evening. Kids love nothing more than a bit of added responsibility, which is why you can let them choose some of their favourite photos and send them off to photo printing specialists. It could be a fun task for you and your children to find these photos together for the album.

You will already have tons of photos stored on your phone or computer, and you can use photo album templates through Photobox together to get started and add finishing touches. What’s more, every album photo will bring back precious memories, something you can all look back on together in a few years’ time.

Cardboard Instruments

Real instruments are made up of abstract shapes that are difficult to comprehend. However, a child will break these down into something that their brain can understand. Plus, it can be fun watching and learning about how they interpret these objects. That is why you should always let them try junk modelling some instruments.

All you need is a box of recyclable junk, such as cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, newspapers sheets, and tubs. Your child will have fun trying to mimic the intricate structures of a real instrument, or they might try and create their own. Furthermore, you can add some string to their list of materials to see if they make something that actually works.

Dinosaur Feet

The most effective craft activities are the ones that keep your children’s imagination ticking long after they have completed their task. That is exactly what can happen when you try making dinosaur feet out of tissue boxes.

You can use any type of box for this activity; however, tissue boxes are more effective because of the hole at the top. As you can imagine, this hole is perfectly sized for little feet. These boxes can be designed to resemble dinosaurs’ feet or any other animal that they can conjure. Again, all you need is some paint, and other craft materials, and your kids can stomp around the house for hours on end.

Conclusion

These are just some activities that you can roll out next time your kids have a few hours to spare. They require minimal preparation and supervision, so let your kid’s imaginations run wild. However, you will find that most of the fun of these tasks comes from the interactions you have together, so make sure to try and get involved whenever the time allows.