Spring Crafts
Baby-food Jar Gardens
This is a really great project for kids that are in preschool all the way through elementary school.
Homemade play dough is the best for this because it dries a lot faster than the kind you can buy in stores, plus it's cheaper. You can let the kids choose what color of dough they want on the bottom by dividing the batch.
Parental supervision is recommended.
This project is rated VERY EASY to do.
What You Need
- Baby food jar with lid
- Small dried or silk flowers
- Rolling pin
- Craft or hot glue
- Homemade (or store bought) play dough
Play dough recipe:
- 1 cup Flour
- 2 teaspoons Cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup Salt
- 1 cup warm Water
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- Food coloring
How To Make It
- Play dough - Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when cooled.
- Making the 'garden' - Roll out play dough with a rolling pin. Use the mouth of the jar as a cookie cutter (if you use the lid, you can't close the jar). Hot glue (adults only) the play dough into the lid and wait about 10 seconds. Have the kids stick flowers into the dough. Leave lids on a cookie sheet to dry over night.
- When the play dough is dry, screw on the lid carefully.
- You can write a name on the jar with glitter or decorate any way you want.
Chenille Stem Butterflies
Hang these butterflies by the antenna with fishing line from a paper plate punched with holes. Paint a sky with clouds on the plate to make your butterflies look like they are flying.
Parental supervision is recommended with the use of wire cutters.
This project is rated EASY to do.
What You Need
- Black chenille stem
- Any color bumpy chenille stem (for butterfly body)
- 4 Pom poms, optional
- Wire cutters
- Needle nose pliers
- Tacky glue (if using pom poms)
How To Make It
- Cut the black chenille stem in half. (You will only use 1 piece for this project)
- Bend the bumpy chenille stem in half in a V shape.
- Fold down one end of the bumpy chenille stem to the base of the V. Bend around the V. The end should be pointing up.
- Bend the bumpy chenille stem down to the base again. Bend around the V. This will form one side of the butterfly.
- Repeat with other end of the bumpy chenille stem.
- Be sure to use the needle nose pliers to hide any sharp ends.
- Fold the black chenille stem in half.
- Twist the bent end about 1/2" from the bend.
- Slide the butterfly in-between the black ends of the chenille stem.
- Twist the black chenille stem above the butterfly to hold it in place.
- Separate the ends of the black chenille stem.
- Bend one end of the black chenille stem over about 1/4". Bend again.
- Repeat with other end. This makes the antennas.
- If desired, place pom poms in the openings of the wings and use tacky glue to hold in place. Let dry.
- If desired, hang with yarn or fishing line to make a mobile as described above.
Easy Spring Flowers
These flowers are quick to make and the children enjoy making them.
Make sure you put newspaper or something protective under the coffee filters as the markers will bleed through them.
This project is rated VERY EASY to do.
What You Need
- Markers
- Newspapers or protective cover for work area
- Coffee filters
- Bumpy chenille stem (or regular chenille stem)
How To Make It
- Cover work area with newspapers or other protective covering.
- Let children draw or color on 5-7 coffee filters with the markers. Random markings are just fine as detailed drawings won't show up in this project.
- Place one coffee filter decorative side down on the table. Stack other coffee filters decorative side up on top.
- Fold coffee filters in half. Scrunch middle of the coffee filters (starting at the bottom coffee filter).
- Wrap chenille stem tightly around scrunched area to hold in place. Straighten chenille stem to use as flower stem.
- Let the children make a couple and put them in a May Basket.
- Early on the morning of May 1st hang on your mother's door, a neighbor's door, a friend's, or anyone special to you.
- Remember, it's supposed to be a surprise!
Grow Your Own Corn
Children will enjoy watching the seeds sprout!
This project is rated VERY EASY to do.
What You Need
- Kernels of popcorn
- Ziploc bag
- Dirt
- Water
How To Make It
Place some dirt in a Ziploc bag, add some water and a few kernels of popcorn.Seal the bag and place it in a sunny window. You should see some growth within a week.
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