Paper Crafts : 5 Fun, Low Budget Ideas that Kids Would Love
You don’t want your children to look at a screen and punch buttons all day. So you set daily screen time limits. To stop them from monkeying around with other kids too much, you set a daily outdoor time limit with lots of rules. And then you are amazed at the amount of daily time they have set aside to bug you! Nothing is worse than a bored kid messing around while you work, or a bored teenager playing the same music all day.
Engage your kids in an activity that keeps the hands and the brain occupied. Paper crafts for kids are easy to learn, hone multiple skills and cost very little. It also doesn’t require a learning curve on your end. Give them the raw material and some ideas. They will take off on their own and surprise you with innovative craft ideas with paper.
To make it easy for you, we have got together some ultra easy ideas on art and craft for kids with paper. If you give us 10 minutes to read this piece, you may open up a whole new world for your children.
1. Throwaway Treasures:
Old newspaper, pamphlets and hand-outs, old letters and school books: everything that you normally sell off by weight. Give your kids a selection of it, maybe 2 newspapers with 1 coloured supplement, 4 hand-outs (yep, those fliers with discount offers on grocery), scissors and glue.
Ask them to make a scrapbook of their choice form it. They can also do other activities with paper like bags, envelopes and flowers. To make it better, ask them if they can combine two or more creations to make a gift for you. Kids love the challenge and adore the way adults value their gift.
2. Collage:
Collages have no rules except being as creative as possible. Apart from the usual bundle of waste paper we just talked about, you can give kids old calendars and more visually rich waster paper. Not everyone can draw or paint well, but this paper craft for kids can bring out the artist in them. At the end of a busy Sunday morning, your little graphic designer may come up with a poster that stuns you.
3. DIY decoration:
Whether it’s Diwali or Christmas, throw the ultimate creative challenge for children. Paper crafts for kids are easy, and at times really useful. Instead of buying decoration, ask your children to make paper lanterns, chains, streamers and flowers.
You would need to buy coloured paper, chart paper, water colour or pastels, markers, scissors, glue, strings and perhaps sticks or twigs. Craft ideas with paper cost less than other material, and are recycling friendly as well.
4. Paper Mache:
Take paper crafts for kids to the next level with papier mache. Paper pulp is easy to make and less messy than clay. Papier mache can be used to make masks, little baskets, lamp shades, decorations, animal figurines, flowers and a host of other beautiful art objects. It’s also a great craft idea with paper for teens, as it can evolve into more serious artwork.
5. Gifts, gardens and zoos:
How do you make those with paper? Paper crafts for kids are a way for parents to revisit their childhood as well. Remember how you treasured return gifts on birthday parties? Colourful paper bugs, animals and flowers are fun to make and add a special personal touch to gifting. Introducing activities with paper to kids can lead to little collections of paper creatures or flowers. Imagine how proud your little one would be when his or her friends admire these creations.
6. Paper Games:
Print and play or DIY paper games can lead to several hours of satisfying activity. Check out these print and play games that don’t cost a penny. These paper crafts for kids are not just fun, they are a great way to learn logical thinking skills, alertness, and basic Maths. You can also encourage your children to print these free books and make their own little library. It’s also a good way to make friends as they share puzzles and games together.
Kids are usually more creative than adults since they are not yet used to thinking within the box. Arts and crafts tap their creativity in a way structured learning cannot. So get the material together, call in your children, and unleash some magic!
Also Read:
10 Good manners every kid should know
Creativity and Innovation in Child Development by Play Based Learning
