Rainy day? Make it an arts and crafts day! 5 materials to help you keep your kids busy

Two small children wearing paper crowns on their heads sit on the floor and draw on some paper. — Keeping your kids entertained doesn’t have to be difficult. © istock

Wave boredom goodbye during the school holidays! We’ve put together five craft ideas to keep your kids occupied when it’s raining outside. And the great thing about these ideas is that they use materials you probably have lying around at home.

1 5

Washi tape – decorate your walls and windows

Keep your kids busy with washi tape. These brightly coloured rolls of tape come in countless varieties. — Brighten up a rainy day with Washi tape. This can keep the kids busy for hours

These rolls of tape are a brilliant way to keep the kids entertained while they are cooped up at home. They come in different sizes and colours, with bold designs and patterns or in simple block colours. They stick to hard surfaces such as doors, cupboards, your child’s chest of drawers and windows, and they are easy to peel off using your fingers.

Picture frame

Your kids can quickly and easily add their own personal touch to picture frames using washi tape to make their drawings really stand out.

Autumn tree

You can also try recreating the seasons using washi tape. For example, collect brightly coloured leaves with your kids in autumn and let them dry out. Then, using brown tape for the trunk and branches, you can bring a tree to life on your window. Simply tape down the leaves as well to complete the scene.

2 5

Craft ideas using wood – keep and recycle

A child’s hand holds a brush and paints an ice lolly stick red and pink. — Paint it first and then use it as a bookmark. Reading will be twice as fun for your kids when they have a personalised, home-made bookmark. © istock

Every child knows you can use wood for arts and crafts. But did you know that you can also make a lot of things using ice lolly sticks?

Bookmark

Do your kids like eating ice lollies? Then you should make sure you keep the sticks when they’re done, because they are ideal for making brightly coloured bookmarks. Let your child paint and decorate the bookmark first. Once it’s dry, it’s ready to use straight away when reading their next story. You can find more upcycling ideas in our interview with DIY and craft queen Kristina Steinmetz.

Raft

Putting a raft together isn’t complicated. You can quickly make a seaworthy vessel out of thin branches, some wire, some brown tape and a piece of paper for the sail. The best thing about this particular project is that it will keep your kids busy even once they have finished making it. They’ll definitely want to keep dunking it in the sink or bathtub, over and over again.

3 5

Toilet rolls – creative ideas made from round cardboard

A crown has been made using a toilet paper roll. It has been painted gold and decorated with bright gems and gold-coloured ribbon. Two more crowns can be seen in the background. — You can think of great craft ideas for your kids using the most ordinary materials. © bastelnmitkids.de

With toilet rolls you can create and build creative ideas made from round cardboards like marble runs or crowns.

Marble run

You can make a unique marble run and keep the kids entertained by sticking toilet rolls on your door with double-sided tape. Before sticking the rolls to the door, why not cut some of them in half? Then you can see the marble at various points as it rolls down.

Crown

What child hasn’t dreamt of being a prince or a princess before? A DIY crown is the perfect accessory for fledgling royalty. First, cut along the spine of the roll with some scissors. Afterwards, you can paint it or decorate it using fake gems. Thread a rubber band through two holes in the roll to make sure it stays on your child’s head.

4 5

Pebbles and stones – collect them outside and paint them at home

Stones of different shapes and sizes have been painted in different patterns and colours. There are two houses, a ladybird and some bright balls. — Stones can keep kids busy and teach them to think creatively. © istock

Sones can be found everywhere... you can collect them outside and paint them at home.

Painting

An afternoon painting session is the perfect way to keep the kids out of trouble – especially if they can get a DIY toy out of it when they are done! It’s particularly effective if the design fits the natural shape of the stone. Round stones make great footballs, while a more square-shaped one can be turned into a house.

Tea light

How about making a DIY tea light for your windowsill? Start by sticking a strip of coloured paper onto a tea light. Then you can stick it to flat pebbles using a glue gun . The coloured paper and the stone can be decorated and painted by your kids before you start working on them, or after you’ve stuck them down.

5 5

Origami art – fold, crease and stick

A finished pink paper flower lies on a violet surface. Beside it there is a folding ruler, a pair of scissors, a pair of pliers, craft glue, masking tape and other craft materials. — Brighten up rainy days with paper flowers that add a bit of colour and variety for your kids. © istock

Paper is a classic craft material. Here are two exciting ideas to keep your kids busy.

Origami flowers

Brightly coloured, folded masking tape lends itself perfectly to making your own origami flowers. Make the petals out of folded strips of the masking tape and the stems out of painted skewers or green pipe cleaners. It will help you create a summery feel – even on rainy days.

Window silhouettes

Tracing paper is perfect for making silhouettes on your windows. They catch the eye when light shines through them, and they are guaranteed to impress the kids.

TIDYING UP

After an afternoon of arts and crafts, your home can look as if an entire football team has run riot in it. Sound familiar? Try using a GlassVac to restore order to your home. You can use it to easily remove little bits of masking tape or paper, or to clean your doors and floors thoroughly and easily. You can even use the vacuum to get rid of puddles of water on tiles and streaks of water on your mirrors. Once your home is clean and tidy, it’s ready for the next arts and crafts afternoon.