When the weather’s not up to scratch, it’s easy to run out of ideas for activities to do with your children. If you’re running out of ideas and money to keep your children entertained, sometimes it’s best to go back to basics!
Here are 12 ways a piece of paper can create hours of fun!
1) Drawing and Painting
A blank piece of paper is a great opportunity for your child to use their imagination! If your children are getting bored by crayons, then experiment with new mediums.
Watercolors are great for children; they’re water based so any stains should wash out easily!
2) Paper Beads
A great idea for older children, but this can get messy!
Simply cut out long triangles of paper, spread glue on one side, and then roll them up. Remember to leave a hole in the middle for the thread! Add an extra layer of glue to the outside of the bead to add strength.
3) Achievement Certificates
What better way to motivate your children then to create their own achievement certificatesfor behaving well around the home. Buy simply using some colourful card you and your kids can get creative and design their own certificates – why not try out an award ceremony to hand out their certificates.
4) Book
Discover the budding writer in your children by encouraging them to write their own books and newspapers!
5) Animal Origami
There are thousands of things you can make with origami, but jumping frogs are one of my favorites!
The frogs are difficult to make at first, but once your children have mastered them, you’ll be finding frogs everywhere!
6) Bookmark
The only rule for this one is to make sure that the bookmark is longer than a book! But you can always fix a tassel to the end if that isn’t the case.
7) Greeting Card
Suggest your children make birthday cards for their friends. They’ll have fun and save you money at the same time. Handmade birthday cards are also great memory keepsakes – why not have them try making their own personalised stickerto go with the card so dad can wear it proudly on his birthday?
8) Windmill
Teach your children to make paper windmills and jazz up your garden! Decorate and fold the paper, then attach a stick and place it in the ground!
9) Paper Weaving
Paper weaving can make many amazing objects!
Look up a few tutorials online and your children will be fascinated by the boxes, baskets and pictures that they can create.
10) Fans
Great for the summertime, and simple to make, just fold and fold again…anyone can do this.
11) Paper Chains
Teach young children to make a simple paper chain.
Older children can learn how to create chains of people holding hands!
12) Hat
Help your children to put together a band of paper that fits snugly around their heads, and then give them sparkly supplies to make themselves crowns fit for kings and queens!
12) Lanterns
Paper Lanterns look particularly good at Christmas, but are also great as garden party decorations!
These ideas should fill a few rainy days and leave you with lots of colorful artwork to display!
Author Bio: Louise Blake is a freelance writer and an excited first time mum to be. She spends most of her free time blogging, nesting and getting the nursery ready!
Graet list of ideas Louise. How’s your baby doing by the way 🙂