TOP CREATIVE DIY PROJECTS FOR YOUR FAMILY HOME

Running out of things to do at home with your family? We’ve gathered creative ideas for families that will lift the mood and create wonderful memories to cherish. Family activities support literacy, build trust, and help children learn through play.

 

Now that we’re still following social distancing measures, you might be lacking some inspiration to keep your family entertained throughout the day.

 

That’s why we at EM ART have put together a list of our favorite resources to help little kids, children, and teens stay creative at home.

 

Stock up your craft room with kid-friendly supplies for decorating, coloring, and organizing.

 

A well-stocked craft space not only inspires creativity but also comes in handy for school projects and rainy days. Here, creative people share their favorite products for decorating, coloring, organizing, and more.

 

Why Are Arts and Crafts Beneficial for Young Children and the Whole Family?

According to many medical doctors, pediatricians, and senior advisors in emergency pediatrics, crafts for young children are beneficial in many big and small ways, starting with how they help improve both gross and fine motor coordination.

 

Even if little ones aren’t quite sure what they’re doing or can’t follow every step without help, that’s perfectly fine — they still gain much more from art projects than you might think.

 

“Working with their hands and practicing repetitive motions and activities also helps with focus and discipline,” experts say. For example, collecting small objects helps improve their pincer grasp.

 

Arts and crafts also give young children a sense of spatial awareness and cognitive skills that can improve flexibility, dexterity, and more. “Carrying materials and cleaning up helps with gross motor transfer skills,” they add, noting that crafting also helps children make decisions and learn from their mistakes.

 

In other words, encouraging any type of creative play or small craft activity can be beneficial, even if your little one isn’t ready to make anything complicated yet. Just slow things down and don’t expect them to create a masterpiece right away.

 

“Encourage your children to express themselves and explain in their own words what they’re thinking and planning while making creative decisions — which colors to use, what to place where, and so on.” This helps develop verbal skills and sentence formation, especially in young children.

 

Perhaps most importantly, crafting with young children gives them a sense of achievement that boosts their confidence.

 

“Building confidence and a healthy sense of self-worth is essential at this age,” so patience, praise, and a positive attitude are key to making these activities successful.

 

7 Top Creative Ideas to Refresh Family Time at Home

 

1. Homemade Stamp Craft

 

A fun idea for DIY stamp crafts for both kids and adults — little ones love dipping stamps into ink pads or paint and leaving their colorful marks across the page.

 

What you’ll need:

 

• Large bottle caps, wine corks, or other small flat-surfaced objects
• Foam shapes
• Hot glue gun
• Blank paper
• Paint, ink, or markers for stamping

 

2. Paper Plate Sun Craft

 

Here comes the sun! This fun and easy paper plate craft helps little ones develop fine motor skills as they carefully glue each “ray” of the sun. You can also practice counting to work on basic maths skills.

 

What you’ll need:

 

• 1 small yellow paper plate (or a white one your child can paint yellow)
• 1 single-hole punch
• Pipe cleaners
• Yellow straws
• Scissors
• Squares of yellow tissue paper
• Liquid glue
• Sequins or small jewels (optional)

 

3. Painted Pasta Jewelry

 

Encourage little ones to create their own wearable art with nothing more than pasta noodles, paint, and string. You may need to give them a hand threading each piece of pasta.

 

What you’ll need:

 

• Craft paint
• Paintbrushes
• Pasta noodles
• Yarn or string
• Tape
• Scissors
• Paper
• Wax paper
• Water cup
• Disposable plate or palette for paint
• Painter’s tape (optional)

 

 

4. Leaf Painting Craft

 

Nature-inspired art teaches children to explore the world around them in a completely new way. Before you start this craft, take a walk with your little one and encourage them to collect leaves that catch their eye.

 

Then watch as they paint each one in a beautiful color and create leaf prints on blank paper.

 

What you’ll need:

 

• Acrylic paint
• White cardstock
• Leaves from outdoors

 

5. Paper Cup Flower Craft

 

This lovely flower craft makes a fun afternoon activity and also a great gift for mum or grandma. It involves painting a plain white paper cup and then cutting the sides into strips to create petals.

 

What you’ll need:

 

• White paper cups
• Paint
• Paper plate

 

6. Nature Crafts

 

They encourage children to see the world around them differently and can also be a fun activity for the whole family.

 

Here’s an extra bonus: these types of art projects are inexpensive — sometimes even free! This one is no exception — simply collect a large fallen branch from your yard or nearby park, “plant” it in a bucket filled with sand, and then let the kids paint it however they like.

 

What you’ll need:

 

• Tree branch
• Bucket
• Sand
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrushes

 

7. Felt Tree Craft

 

Introduce your child to the concept of the seasons by letting them play with felt to create a tree and scenery that reflects the current season.

 

You’ll need to do a bit of prep work by cutting the felt pieces, but then you can encourage your child to place flowers and leaves on the scene wherever they like.

 

What you’ll need:

 

• 8 × 10 piece of cardboard
• 1 sheet of light blue felt
• 1 sheet of green felt
• 1 sheet of white felt
• ½ sheet of brown felt
• Various colors of felt
• Scissors
• White craft glue

 

We at EM ART would love to be part of your family projects and help you create unforgettable moments with your children!