Dive into Fun with a Kid-Made Fish Tank!

 Calling all creative captains! Are you ready to set sail for an ocean of imagination? Today, we're building a cute little fish tank, and the best part is, there are no limits to what your little ones can create!

This exciting craft is perfect for a rainy day or a dose of undersea whimsy. It's easy to customize and allows kids to explore their artistic talents while learning about the fascinating world of fish.

This project is perfect for a rainy day. It uses simple supplies and is so much fun to add your own touches. Kids will love making their own little friend, and taking it everywhere!

Supplies:

Small jar with lid (I used the button jars from Dollar Tree)

Several buttons

A 6” section of string

Glue

Tape

Scissors

Googly eyes

Paint samples

Directions:

Fold a paint sample in half

Cut the paint sample in the shape of a fish so that you have 2 fish.

Place glue on the backs of the fish.

Place the string so that it is in the center of the fish when they are placed on top of each other.

Glue on the eyes.

Tape the string to the inside of the lid of the jar.

Place a few buttons inside the jar.

Place the lid on the jar and admire your adorable swimming fish.

Aren't these so cute? You can make them in a variety of colors, and if you have a container that is large enough you can add multiple fish! Just vary the length of your string so they aren't hanging at the same level.

Harper had a ton of fun with this project and I know your kids will too. We took this little guy along on quite a few adventures. He traveled quite well!

Crafting with kids isn't just about making cool stuff (though that's definitely a perk!). It's a fantastic opportunity to bond, get creative, and explore the world through a hands-on lens. But with busy schedules and overflowing craft supply bins, getting started can feel overwhelming.

Here are some tips for making the most of craft time.

• Get down to their level: Sit on the floor with your child and participate in the activity. Show them your own excitement and creativity!
• Focus on the process, not the product: The joy of crafting comes from creating together, not achieving perfection.
• Let them take the lead: Encourage their creativity and allow them to make choices. Their unique ideas are what makes their crafts special!

Setting the Stage for Success:

• Prepare your workspace: Cover the table with newspaper or a tablecloth for easy cleanup. Have all materials within reach to avoid frustration.
• Embrace the mess: Crafting can get messy, and that's perfectly okay! Lay down a tarp outdoors for messy activities or use a large plastic bin for easy containment.
• Safety first: Be mindful of your child's age and choose age-appropriate materials. Adult supervision is always recommended for younger children, especially with scissors or glue.

Find more favorite craft ideas here:

Boredom Busters

Bunches of Grapes Process Art

Leaf Fox Family

Boredom Busters That Will Keep Your Kids Entertained for Hours

Boredom is a natural part of life, but it can be especially challenging for kids. When kids are bored, they may be more likely to engage in risky or destructive behaviors, such as getting into fights, using drugs or alcohol, or engaging in self-harm. Boredom can also lead to academic problems, such as poor grades and difficulty paying attention in class.

There are many benefits to offering boredom buster activities to kids. These activities can help kids:

• Develop their creativity and problem-solving skills
• Learn new things
• Improve their social skills
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Stay physically active
• Have fun!

 Jello Playdough by Momma Lew

This play dough uses jello to make a recipe for fun with a great scent to it too!

Rock Painting Party by Mom Junky

This is the ultimate free boredom buster. Grab some rocks and paint, and what do you know? You have an impromptu party on your hands!

Minecraft Block 3D Art by Down Redbud Drive

Get the kids off the screens, with a minecraft craft that is sure to hold their interest as long as a video game can!

Seed Hearts by Bunny’s Garden

Spread some love and seeds with this adorable craft idea. 

Toy Car Wash by Craftidly 

Got dirty cars? Then create a space to tidy them up. This is a squeaky clean idea for fun!

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk by Pop Shop America

You may never buy sidewalk chalk again after checking out this tutorial. Summer fun will be chalked up as a great time.

Scribble Dice by Barley and Birch

Scribble and roll up a fun time when the kids feel restless with this unique activity.

Lego Fidget Spinner by Creative Green Living

Fidget spinners meet legos with this really engaging activity for kids. They will spin with pride at the chance to make their own fidget toy!

Cupcake Liner Jellyfish by Kids Activities Blog

This craft is great for the days when you miss the beach; it brings a cute jellyfish swimming into craft time with minimal supplies.

Cactus Rock Painting by Messy Momma Crafts

This is such a cute idea for rock painting and can double as much loved home decor too!

Toothpick Cacti by Mod Podge Rocks

This craft is perfect for older kids, and will have them making a prickly cactus to show off!

Plastic Bag Friendship Bracelets by Craftidly

Give plastic bags new life with this bracelet tutorial! This is a great upcycle project for kids.

Paracord Bracelets by Needlepointers

These bracelets make great fashion, and in a pinch can be used for actual rope in an emergency situation.

Galaxy Slime by Sweet Silly Sara

This is slimy, goopy and it glows in the dark for an out of this world experience kids will love.

Here are some tips for offering boredom buster activities to kids:

• Make a list of different activities that your kids might enjoy. This list could include things like playing games, reading books, doing arts and crafts, going for walks, or playing sports.
• Talk to your kids about what they would like to do when they are bored. This will help you to tailor the activities to their interests.
• Be prepared to offer some guidance and support when your kids are trying new activities. This will help them to have a positive experience.
• Make sure that the activities are safe and appropriate for your kids' age and interests.
• Be patient and understanding. It may take some time for your kids to get used to doing things on their own.

Boredom buster activities can be a great way to keep kids entertained and engaged. They can also help kids to develop important skills and learn new things. So next time your kids are bored, don't despair! There are plenty of fun and educational activities that you can do together.

Find more kids activities here:

Mud Ice Cream Cones

Fine Motor Counting

Basket of Fruit Process Art

Lemon and Limes find a second life after their prime with this easy and fun process art activity! It incorporates an introduction to weaving for small hands with a lot of painting fun. This activity is great for kids of all ages from Toddlers and Preschoolers, to older kids, like Rolf who is 11 now and still had fun with this!

Ok, first, let that sink in. Rolf is 11 now. When I started this blog, he was a baby. Literally, just a baby. And here we are 10 years later. Still sharing, growing and creating. Let's have a big group hug!

Next, isn't this such a cute process art project for kids? I love that the touchy, smelly parts make it super engaging for little hands. If you have been reading for a while now, you know how I feel about sensory play and  projects! (I love them!) Well, I also love to paint with Harper too!  We had a few lemons and limes in the fruit basket that were a little shriveled up and unappetizing so instead of tossing them out, we put them to work in an art project.

 Supplies: 

A lemon and a lime, sliced in half

A paper plate

Glue

Scissors

A brown bag of construction paper

Yellow and green paint

Directions:

Cut the brown paper into thin strips.

Offer your child one strip and encourage the child to glue it to the paper.

As you can see we used 3 vertical strips, then began the under/over process of weaving the horizontal strips.

Keep the weaving simple, you only need 3 vertical and 3 horizontal strips of paper. If your older child is creating this, feel free to encourage a more complicated weave!

Now comes the fun!

Pour a little paint (about a quarter size drop of each color) on a paper plate.

Offer the citrus fruit to the child, allow them to squeeze the juice out and pick at the seeds if they want to. They will want to because it is fun and it smells good! Just have a towel nearby to wipe their hands! When all of the seed picking and fruit squeezing is finished, encourage your child to press the fruit into the paint, and begin filling the woven basket with fruit!

Remind your artist to use all of the fruit and colors!

Allow to dry and display.

This is fun to make in the summer, when we are making loads of lemonade, so maybe save a few lemons after squeezing for an art project? Or pull this out in the winter, when the kids need a break. It is such a sunny little process art project that they are bound to love it!

Find more art and craft ideas for kids here

Play Doh Snakes

Looking for a simple way to engage the kids with supplies you probably already have on hand? This easy play doh snakes idea is the way to go. Kids of all ages will love this sensory play idea that combines fine motor work and creativity for an all around fun time!

Now that my kids are enrolled in virtual school for the semester, I have been finding ways to keep them engaged. They finish their work early in the day and have a few hours to fill in the afternoon. I bought a bunch of blank books, small canvases, coloring books, wooden plaques and so onto keep them creating. But, to keep things entertaining, I give them a daily challenge.

Some days, I challenge them to build something specific with legos. another day, I might challenge them to find pine cones, leaves, or sticks of a certain size. My favorite challenges involve play doh. On this particular day I gave them a pile of buttons and a can of play doh and asked them to make an animal. They put their heads together asked for a touch of red doh and 2 little eyes. This is what they came up with. It is so cute, I knew I wanted to share this idea with you.

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Supplies:

Play Doh, offer 2 colors

Buttons

Googly Eyes

Directions:

Encourage your child to roll a play doh snake and  decorate it with buttons.

Give the snake eyes and carefully give him a tongue.

If you liked this easy play doh idea check out these reader favorites.

Button Tower Stem Activity

Apple Tree Math

Easy Yoda Puppet

May the 4th is right around the corner and Star Wars fans will love this super easy and cute craft to add a little force fun to the special day!

                                        My son Rolf, is the biggest Star Wars fan ever.

He loves to play with Star Wars action figures after school! I wanted to add something fun to his daily Star Wars play and I made something cute and easy to delight him!

This is so easy, all you need are 2 ovals of green paper, a circle of green paper, a popsicle stick, 2 googly eyes and some glue.

Begin by gluing the oval ear shapes to the large circle of paper.

Next glue those onto the craft stick.

Add the eyes and draw on a smile.
There you have an easy Yoda craft puppet!

Paper Plate Lion Craft

This easy paper plate lion craft requires basic supplies and makes for a roaring good craft for the little ones!

I am an advocate for crafting with kids! I think that with simple supplies you can open up an entire world for the kids. This easy paper plate lion craft is a perfect activity for preschoolers and kindergarteners. It utilizes fine motor skills and it gives kids a chance to explore their own wild side as they give their paper plate lion a personality!

To make this easy craft we used:
Kwik Stik
Uncooked Rotini Noodles
A clean paper plate
school glue
2 googly eyes

Begin by painting the rim of the plate orange
Paint the center of the plate yellow
glue rotini noodles on the rim of the plate to make the mane
Add eyes
Draw on a face with your Kwik Stik

We love to make easy crafts! With 2 kids under the age of 6, I grab every opportunity I can to get crafty with them! Some of you might be familiar with my crafting show on facebook live, where we make a lot of adorable and easy crafts, if not, I hope you will join me on the Quirky Momma facebook page on Monday or Friday nights at 8:30 pm, or Wednesdays at 9 am eastern or 7:30 pm.

Find more paper plate crafts here:

Paper Plate Crafts for Kids

Paper Plate Witch