Free and Easy Kids Crafts

Here in Michigan, we had some nasty weather last night, and because of that, many folks found themselves without power. For a lot of those people, that means kids home from school with little or nothing to do. So I decided to create a few projects that you could do at home, with kids of all ages, using only things you most likely have sitting around in closets, or under beds. 
Turkey Finger Puppets:

For this project, all you need is glue, scissors, an old glove, paper or fabric scraps, and googly eyes or buttons. 

Start by cutting the fingers off the glove. Then cut out several feathers from your paper/fabric scraps. Don't forget to cut out a beak and the gobble. (AKA: the red dangly thing)

Once you have all your parts cut out, glue them on, and VIOLA! You have adorable turkey finger puppets! 

Now ask the kids to put on a puppet show. They can sing songs, do a silly barnyard skit, or share things they are thankful for. 

This is also a great project for Thanksgiving, to keep the little ones occupied while waiting on dinner. 

Play Kitchen:

This is a great way to use up all sorts of various odds and ends you may have laying around. The play food can be made using any fabric or colored paper. I used scraps of felt, but craft/scrapbook paper would work great, also. 

Just decide what foods you want to make, and draw them out. I based my foods on colors of felt I had, but you could do fruits, veggies, a pizza, etc. Be as creative as you want! There is no right or wrong on this project. 

Once you have them drawn up, cut them out, and set them aside.

To make the stove, I used a shipping box (free at the post office) that I had in my closet. I spray painted the box with a can I had left over, but you can use any kind of markers or paint, or cover it with craft paper. 

The knobs on the top are painted bottle caps, and the stovetop is drawn on with a paint pen. (Again, use whatever you have.)

I drew on the fake oven door, then cut a wine cork in 2 and painted it black. Then I glued a piece of plastic (an old pencil, or wooden dowel would work for this, also) to each of the corks to create the handle. The towel is just a piece of scrap fabric with a bit of lace glued to the ends. 

That's it. It's that easy. And if you have more boxes, make a fridge, a sink, and more. Add a picture frame window, or cut out the oven door to make it open. The possibilities are endless. Then all you need is a cute tea set, and your favorite doll or stuffed toy, and you are ready for fun!

It doesn't have to cost a lot (or anything) to create endless fun for little ones. And I'm sure you have many things just sitting around waiting for you to use them creatively. Imagination is the best toy you can give your child.