It’s that time of year again! The weather’s terrible, it’s muddy everywhere and too cold to be outside, no matter what the kids say. And there aren’t that many places to go to right now – thanks, Covid!
And that means you have a bored child or children hunting for something to do. Never a good formula!
The solution is to find something they can do that stimulates their brains, keeps their attention but doesn’t seem like a school task. Here are some ideas for the best indoor arts and crafts for kids to do indoors.
Do some basic painting
One of the simplest art projects is to have a go at painting. Depending on their age, you’re advised to choose different types of paints. Water-based kids paints are ideal for the younger ones as they will wash out of anything that gets painted by accident.
For the older kids, watercolour paints are easy to use and can create something as simple as a colour wash to start with. You can also try them with acrylic paints if they are a little more advanced in their artistic talents.
Bleeding tissue paper art
All you need for tissue paper art is some thick card stock or watercolour paper, a paintbrush and water and some tissue paper. Make sure it’s labelled ‘bleeding’ otherwise it won’t work properly.
Paint the whole sheet of paper with water then start adding tissue squares either randomly or in a pattern. If the paper gets dry while you’re working, just brush a little more water on. Leave it overnight then brush off the dry tissue paper in the morning. The result will be a watercolour style masterpiece!
Make potato stamps
You’ll need to be involved with this one but it is a retro-fun activity to do together. Grab some potatoes and some cookie cutters. Aim for ones that leave an imprint so there’s more to see when you stamp with them.
Cut the potato in half and press the cookie cutter as far into the potato as you can. Cut around the cookie cutter as closely as you can. The result should be a potato stamp with the image from the cookie cutter.
Then let the kids take over! Acrylic paint is perfect for this – brush it onto the potato and then stamp paper. They can make artwork or even create backing papers for other crafts such as card making.
Pebble painting
Grab a bag of smooth pebbles and some acrylic or waterproof paints and the kids can make some pebble creatures or pebble art. All you need to do is paint them, usually a couple of times, then add any features, patterns or other elements you want. Then use some clear varnish over the top to preserve the pattern. Pop them in the garden and they look great!
Best art supplies
These are just a few simple ideas for the kind of fun activities kids can do with art supplies. Once you buy something like acrylic paint, there are tons of ideas on how to use it. And you can check out our range of art supplies to get the best paints and papers for their projects.