Play the Mixed-Up Monster Doodle Game!

Looking for an easy way to be creative and play with the kids?  Well here's a super easy low-prep art activity that's perfect for fall and Halloween- play the mixed up monsters doodle game with them!

Mixed-up Monster Doodle Game

Easy Printmaking Project for Kiddos: Colorful Initials!

Howdy friends! Today I wanted to just pop in and share this colorful, kid-friendly printmaking project.  I know, it's been awhile since I've shared a printing project here. (I've been shying away from messier projects lately because my youngest has now entered the VERY precocious and active toddler years. Ahhh! )  But, I recently took a printmaking course and was enamored with the whole process.... so I had to try out the process with my eldest.

Let's Print Kid Initials

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Happy Woven Paper Turtles

Does anyone else enjoy weaving with kids?  One of my most popular posts to date has been these adorable popsicle stick woven turtles.  And I totally get why... they're super cute, easy to make, and teach kids a neat skill- yarn weaving!

Well, once again we've been bitten by the weaving bug.  This time we took a different approach and made some woven paper turtles!  Like their yarn counterparts, these are also super cute and kid-approved.  (My 5-year-old loved making one alongside me!)

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Easy and Colorful Sheet Music Art

Do your children enjoy listening to music?  Well, great!  Here's an easy way to combine music and art into an easy and colorful activity!

My boys loooooove holding dance parties at home.  While listening to one of their favorite songs (on repeat--- oh boy, do we love Moana, Trolls, and 80s music), I thought of trying out this fun activity.  Tada!  Today we're making sheet music art!  

Make Sheet Music Art with Kids

Clothespin People and Doodles

I needed a few clothespins for some crafts... but ended up acquiring a whole bunch more than necessary.  They were just lying around, so I fiddled around  and came up with a really fun, open-ended art project:  Clothespin Doodles!

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Kids Map Art- Creating with kids!

If you're looking for an easy art project to do with your kids, this is it.  I love finding cheap treasures from the thrift store and using them to make art with my family.  Here's our most recent project- a painted wooden map.

3D "I Love You" Hand Craft (And our Favorite Books about Love)

It's already February and I haven't yet put up any Valentine's Day Crafts this year.  Oof! What kind of kid crafter am I?

I've just been so caught up in what's happening in our country and world that I haven't fully had the heart or energy to embrace doilies, flowers, chocolate, hearts.... basically anything Valentine's yet.  But today I'm turning a new leaf.  Here's my first Valentine's day craft of the season... these 3D "I Love You" Hands.

(They're not quite hearts and flowers and pun-ny sayings.. but it's a start, right?)

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Mini Magformer Art

Ever notice how Magformers look like little frames?  

Today I'm over at The Artful Parent sharing this lovely Magformer framed art activity.  It's a creative way to reuse old toys and infuse a bit of art into kids' play!

Happy making, friends!

Gorgeous, Kid-Made Birthday Banner (And my dream job...)

A few weeks ago, we invited a few school friends over for a play date.  Since having a baby less than a year ago, I've been a bit (ok... let's be honest... VERY) nervous about having people over.  I'm always pooped and don't really feel like entertaining.  (Ever feel that way too?)  But, I pushed myself to try and that's how I found myself with 5 kids running around our fairly small home.  The kids played with toys and ran around outside... and surprisingly a lot of time was spent inside, painting and making art.

What?

You read that right, friends.  Our teacher's birthday was coming up and I invited the children to help me paint her birthday banner.  Once the kids saw the papers and art supplies on our table... they got right to work, creating the beautiful birthday letters below.

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Groovy Sticker Snowflakes Art (Printable included)

With the start of the new school year, our family is still trying to find its new normal.  Transitions from school to home can sometimes be rough.  So we've been trying to keep things easy with more downtime in the afternoon.  We play at the park, read books, or do simple open-ended crafts.   Today I wanted to share a really easy open-ended snowflake craft that my son and I really enjoyed.  We pulled out some old stickers and made ourselves some groovy sticker snowflakes! 

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Easy DIY Marbled Clay Covered Pens

Ever swoon while you're walking through stationary stores?  I looove pretty pens and paper.  But I don't always like the price tag that's associated with them.  Since we've been doing tons of clay projects lately, my son and I tried our hand at making clay covered pens.

I'll be honest.  I wasn't too hopeful about the results.  Plastic pens in ovens?  Urmm...  I worried that they would catch on fire... or melt.  But it didn't happen!  We turned a couple of el-cheapo-freebie pens into some fancy-shmancy marbled ones.  Ooh la la! Aren't they gorgeous?

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40+ Projects that combine STEM with Art!

Seems like everyone's talking about the importance of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) these days. And hey, I get it.  We live in a highly technological world that's rapidly advancing in all sorts of new ways.   We want our kids to be be creative and adaptive problem solvers.

But maybe you're like me and you deeply love arts and crafts.  They're your jam.  And maybe you're unsure how to dive into all this STEAM goodness.  Hey, I get that too.  Hopefully today's post will help.  In this post I sharing over 40 ideas for arts and craft projects that also happen to incorporate STEM ideas.  Yup.  Here are some of my favorite artsy crafty posts...which also happen to have a little STEAM-y oomph to them!

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Fall Leaf Scratch Art (and related books!)

Are the leaves changing colors where you are?  Every year I look forward to seeing the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows.  Today I wanted to share this really easy fall craft that doubles as a STEAM activity.  It's a science and art activity that helps kids to represent how leaves change colors in the fall.

Fall Leaf Scratch Art

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Spooky Chalk Stencil Halloween Haunted Houses

Ok.  I realize that Halloween is several months away.  But I made this city skyline scene with my son and thought... wait a moment... this would be a great Halloween craft to do with kids!   Whaddya think?  The chalk gives the picture an eerie feeling... don't you think?

Oooooh!  Spooky Chalk Stencil Haunted Houses

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Let's Make Clay Dream Catchers

Here's a lovely clay craft to make with the kids.  Lately my son has been having nightmares at night.  We've been trying lots of different ways to help him through it.  Since we've been doing a lot of clay crafts together, I made him this clay dream catcher to help him have sweet dreams at night.

How to Make Clay Dream Catchers  

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Outer Space Kids Jewelry

As a kid I adored watching Ms. Frizzle.   Her crazy hair, her awesome outfits, her magic bus, her love of science... gosh. What wasn't there to love?  Well, today I'm sharing this awesome STEM inspired craft.  We're tapping into our inner science nerds and making some space inspired jewelry with the kiddos!  (Ok, who am I kidding... this would be an awesome craft for any space-loving adults too!)

How to Make Outer Space Planet and Galaxy Jewelry

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So grab your Sculpey Clay, favorite Magic School Bus books, and visit DIY Candy today to learn how to make your very own spacey clay jewelry!

More Space Themed Crafts

And, if you're looking for more space themed crafts, check out these ideas below!

• Cardboard Roll Model Space Shuttle
• Pie Plate Solar System
• Kirigami Stars
• Straw Rockets
• Cardboard Space Shuttle Climbing Toy
• Lego Space Station Stamping
• Galaxy Light Jar
• Star Painting
• Paint your own Galaxy Umbrella
• Glow in the dark Star Finding Game

Happy making, friends!

Sparkly, Colorful Peel and Stick Window Mosaics

Sparkly and colorful- this removable window cling craft was one of our favorites this summer!  We love doing mosaic crafts over here with kiddos.  There's something super neat about putting tiny pieces together to create a lovely design or picture. And this craft takes mosaics to the next level.  Kids can make their own mosaic pieces AND create beautiful stick and peel mosaics on windows!

How to Make Peel and Stick Window Mosaics! 

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School Supply Hack: DIY Rainbow Marker (in under a minute!)

Can you believe it's August?  Goodness.  My eldest is about to start elementary school in a month and I've been eyeing all the colorful back-to-school supplies.  Since we love making rainbow crafts, I thought it would be fun to make our own DIY Rainbow Marker.  Yup.  And guess what?  It took less than a minute to make.  And then- tada!   We swiped this marker to create a whole spectrum of lovely colors!

How to Make a DIY Rainbow Marker   

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Dip Dye Kids Art Project

If you're looking for the easiest, funnest, cheapest, and most colorful kids summer art project... you're at the right place.  We've been dying up a storm over here and turning plain old paper towels into lovely dip dye art!

How to Make Dip Dye Art With Kids

Sparkly Sand Castle Art

Hello everyone!   How has your summer been so far?  Visited the beach yet?  Well... today's craft is a beach-inspired one. Today we're sharing a fun sand castle summer craft.  All you need is some sand and some glue and tada!  You've got an easy breezy summer art project perfect for kids for all ages!

Let's Make Some Sparkly Sand Art

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