written by guest Jamie Anderson
Rainy days may be dreary, but they are also a time to create some fun memories.
When the kids are stuck indoors due to bad weather, wanting to use the cot bed mattress as a trampoline and the baby walker as a climbing frame, you can keep
them busy and happy with crafts that fuel their creativity and imaginations. Kids are
naturally creative and with a little guidance from you, they can while away the hours with
these simple craft ideas.
The Versatile Egg
Egg decorating has always been a popular activity for kids at Easter, but it can also be
fun at other times of the year. There are so many things kids can do with a hard-boiled
egg from dying it or painting it to creating whimsical creatures. To make your own food-
colour dyes, simply add ¼ teaspoon of food colouring and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to ¾
cup of hot water. Soak the hardboiled egg in the dye until it’s the desired colour, remove
it with a slotted spoon and let it dry in an egg cup.
To make designs on the eggs, the kids can wrap them in elastic bands, or draw on them
with a wax crayon, before the eggs go into the dye bath. When you remove the elastic
bands once the eggs are dry, you can then dip the eggs again in a lighter colour for
a two-toned effect. If you’ve used the wax crayon, remove the wax by putting the egg
in a 200°F oven for a few minutes and the wax will wipe off with a paper towel. Paint
polka dots or other designs on your dyed eggs using undiluted food colouring or glue on
sequins, lace, ribbons or glitter for some added pizzazz. Your eggs will still be edible as
long as you store them in the fridge.
Tasty Homemade Stickers
Kids love stickers and its fun and easy for them to make their own. All you’ll need are
some pictures, scissors, paintbrushes and a box of Jello. You can print off a selection
of clip art for the kids or use old magazines, catalogs or even left-over gift wrap. To
make Jello sticker glue, simply dissolve 1 tablespoon of Jello powder in 2 tablespoons
of boiling water. Once it’s cool, paint it onto the back of the pictures and leave them to
dry. The glue will cause the paper to curl, but that can be easily solved by weighting the
paper down with a heavy book once it’s dry. Younger children will find it easier to apply
the sticker glue to the page then cut out the image after the glue is dry. Be forewarned
that this is a sticky, messy project, which is probably why kids love it.
Colourful Noodle Jewelry
Take macaroni necklaces and bracelets to a whole new level by dying the pasta
jewel bright colours. This project requires some advance preparation. You’ll need an
assortment of different types of tubular pastas, a couple of bottles of rubbing alcohol,
food colouring and large Ziploc bags. For each colour, put one to two cups of pasta into
a bag and add ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol and about 10 drops of food colouring. Seal the
bag and make sure all the pasta is coated. Lay the bags on a flat surface for at least two
hours, turning them over several times. The longer you leave them, the more intense
the colour. Drain off the alcohol, and set the pasta out to dry overnight. With a colorful
selection of noodle beads, some string and elasticized cord, the kids will a great time
creating their own designer jewelry.
{James Anderson is a proud father of 2, gadget freak, photographer and daddy blogger.
James has been managing his own blog for a few years now. James enjoys writing
articles for mums to be and parents of young children and currently writes for Baby
Planet who are a leading UK retailer of baby equipment including pushchairs, nursery furniture and nursery
furniture.}
