Entertaining the kids during winter: Crafting activities

If you’re looking for interesting ways to entertain the kids this winter, why not introduce them to arts and crafts? Little ones love anything that’s interactive, imaginative and creative, so get hold of some high-quality, yet affordable supplies from sites like Homecrafts.co.uk and have a go at these fun-filled activities:

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Handprint cards

Whether you have a baby, toddler or a child of school age, they’re sure to love making cards with handprints on them. These make great gifts and can be done by painting your children’s hands (or feet) with a water-based/acrylic paint and pressing them firmly on a folded bit of card. If you’re feeling a little more creative, simply whip up some salt dough by mixing half a cup of salt to one cup of flour and gradually stir in some water to form a firm consistency. Press your child’s hand into the dough to make a print and bake it slowly in the oven on a low heat for several hours until it’s very hard – don’t be tempted to push up the temperature or it will bubble and crack. When it’s cool, paint it in an array of colours and surprise a friend or relative with this lovely keepsake.

Painting rocks

It’s fun to draw and paint on paper, but how about unleashing some artistic talent on a rock? The great thing about this activity is that it has two parts, which will keep your kids entertained for the best part of an afternoon. Firstly, if it’s dry outside, wrap up warm and ask your children to find the biggest and smoothest rocks they can find. Place these in a plastic bag and leave them to dry if it’s been a little wet. Next, cover a table in newspaper, lay out a selection of paints and brushes and have fun decorating the stones in an array of different patterns and colours – the more lavish the better. Leave them to dry and put them on display for everyone to enjoy. You could even get your little cherubs to collect multiple stones and ask them spell out their names.

Collages

The wonderful thing about collages is that they’re incredibly simple to create but are the perfect way to decorate your child’s bedroom or nursery. The best are made from a variety of different materials, so gather tin foil, coloured card, string, milk tops, glitter, leaves, buttons, felt, pipe cleaners and anything else that might form an interesting picture and place them on a flat surface along with some PVC glue and glue sticks. Give each child a piece of card, and ask them to magic up a creation using the objects in front of them – you might be surprised with what they come up with. Photo collages also work well, but make sure you use copies of beloved prints in case your children get a little carried away with the scissors. Collages also make brilliant presents for grandparents and are fabulous keepsakes for parents.

The weather may be dark and cold during winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your children. There’s plenty to do indoors, so give these activities a go and pass the chilly months in creative style.