It is no secret that the Easter holiday is one that children look forward to every year. From waiting for the arrival of the Easter bunny to hiding eggs, children of all ages want to enjoy everything that Easter has to offer. Easter is a time of creating memories.

It is perfect time of year to let your children explore their creative sides and make Easter themed crafts. No matter how old your child is, there is sure to be an Easter craft that he or she can enjoy. The following craft ideas and tips that can help make this an Easter to remember for you and your family. We hop you enjoy our Easter crafts for kids.

Younger Children – Creating Easter treasures can be especially fun with younger children. If you are the scrapbooking type, you will want to be sure to keep all of the crafts that these youngsters make. Be prepared for the excitement that the Easter holiday brings. Do not be afraid to take the plunge and get down and dirty with them. Have fun! You are creating memories and providing stimulation for their growing minds.

Easter Bunny Mask

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
2 plain white paper plates
Pink paint/paint brush
Scissors
Stapler
Glue
Crayons and markers
Elastic

This is a very simple project. Children this age love to wear masks and creating an Easter themed mask is a breeze. First, allow your child to paint the center of one paper plate pink. Allow the paint to dry and cut the plate in half. These are the bunny’s ears. Next, using the second paper plate, cut a pie shaped wedge from the plate totaling no more than ¼ of the plate. The remainder of the plate will be the bunny’s face. Then, staple the two ears onto the plate leaving the cut part of the plate facing downward. Cut two eye holes out of the bunny’s face. Allow your child to decorate the bunny any way that he would like using paint, crayons or markers. Finally, staple the elastic to the back of the bunny mask so that your child can have hours of enjoyment pretending to be a bunny. This is a very simple craft that your child will thoroughly enjoy.

Older Children – There are endless Easter crafts that are geared towards older children. In fact, you can probably ask your child to come up with an idea on his own and he will be able to create a beautiful Easter craft for you. Get the supplies he needs and allow him to get busy on his creation. If not, the following craft may help.

Easter Broach

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Left over egg shells from died Easter Eggs
Wooden egg shaped cut outs
Glue that dries clear
Shirt or broach pin backing
Super glue
Paint (optional)
Remove eggs from died Easter egg shells. Wash the egg shells thoroughly and allow them to dry. After drying, take the eggs shells and crumble them to make very small pieces. Apply glue to the front of the wooden egg shaped cut out. Allow your child to pick out different colored eggs shells and place them onto the glue. The point is to have a “mosaic” egg. Once the egg shell has dried thoroughly, give your child the option to add more color by applying paint to different areas of the egg. Once the egg is completely dry, cover the mosaic egg with a layer of clear glue. This will smooth out any sharp edges. Finally, super glue the broach or pin backing onto the back of the mosaic egg. Allow your child to give the broach to a teacher or grandmother for Easter. Consider allowing him to make several and compare his different masterpieces!

There are countless kids Easter crafts available for you and your family to enjoy this Easter holiday. Whether you want to do an easy project or one that will take a little more time, there is something out there for you. Encourage your child’s creativity by choosing crafts that will spark his interest and this Easter will be an Easter he will never forget.

As the fresh spring air fills our lives, we are inspired to become creative. Children look for new ways to express themselves as the warmer weather tickles their senses. We, as parents, search for new, creative experiences that our children will enjoy. Spring offers the perfect time for our children to try their creative thumb. Below, are spring crafts that are sure to keep you and your child busy during the new season.

· Gardening – Children love to garden. Take this fact and turn it into a fun project for your child.

What you will need:
Clay flower pot
Gardening soil
Spring flower of your choice
Paint and other decorative elements

This project is relatively simple but can keep your child busy for hours. First, allow your child to create his/her very own flower pot. Allow him to be creative with paints and other decorative elements. Using jewels, stickers, ribbon, etc. is a fun way to spruce up the flower pot. After the flower pot has dried completely, fill it with soil and plant the flower in it. After this step is finished, be sure to add a little water to the pot. Place the flower in your windowsill or outside for others to view your child’s beautiful project. This is a very fun activity for kids and a relatively inexpensive way to get creative with spring.

· Sidewalk Chalk – There is nothing more fun that allowing your child to make his or her very own sidewalk chalk. Making the sidewalk chalk will be a good experience for your child. Getting to play with the masterpieces will be even better! The process for making sidewalk chalk is not as hard as it may seem. It will take some time, but is sure to be a fun spring art activity for your child.
What you will need:
A mold such as a toilet paper or paper towel roll
1 cup of Plaster of Paris
¾ cup of water
Mixing bowl
Powered Tempura Paint in your choice of color

Choose a mold for your sidewalk chalk. Keep in mind that the smaller the mold, the quicker you will have a finished product. Mix 1 cup of Plaster of Paris with ¾ cups of water in the medium size mixing bowl. Add in the tempura paint until your “chalk” has reached the desired color you have chosen. Mix the ingredients together very well and allow it to stand for 2 minutes. Next, pour the mixture into your mold. Place the mold in a warm area and allow it to dry completely. This could take several days depending on how large your mold is. When the chalk is dry, cut the mold from your chalk. Allow the chalk to cure for 24 hours before using it. Your child can take part in any or all of the steps of this project. He will especially enjoy playing with the finished product. He will be excited to show off his masterpieces!

· Bird Feeders – With spring in full swing, the presence of birds will be more than noticeable to your child. Allow him to create a bird feeder to feed the birds. He will be able to watch the birds eat his creation. This will provide for a definite learning experience.

What you will need:
A pine cone
½ cup of peanut butter
Spoon
Mixed bird seeds
a small piece of yarn

This is a very easy project and can be recreated on a weekly basis. It will allow your child to get closer to nature. Choose a pine cone from your yard or your local craft store. Allow your child to apply the peanut butter to the outside of the pine cone with a spoon ensuring that the peanut butter gets into the crevices. Then, take a handful of bird seed and sprinkle it onto the peanut butter. Several applications of bird seed will give the best results. Lastly, take a piece of yarn and tie it onto the base of the pine cone. Allow your child to choose a tree to hang his new bird feeder in. Choose a branch and use the yarn to tie the bird feeder onto it. Sit back and watch the birds enjoy your creation.

There are many simple spring time arts and craft projects that can keep your child busy. Whether making sidewalk chalk, a bird feeder, or a fancy flower pot, make sure that you allow your child the freedom of expression and control in the projects. He will relish in his creations and feel like a true artist!

What’s that they say about Spring, “April showers bring May flowers”? When a rainy Spring day is in the forecast, pull out the craft supplies and enjoy the day!

Kid crafts essential materials include paper, crayons, safe scissors, and glue. Paper for kid crafts can include construction paper, plain typing paper, card stock of various colors, and many other options. Even junk mail and old magazines can make interesting art projects. Crayons are nice for younger children, but the stores are now filled with other options, such as washable dry-erase markers, watercolor pencils, and gel pens. Kid crafts supplies can run into money, but even on a budget there are many possibilities.

Other materials kids can craft with include recycled junk and found objects. By recycled junk, I’m referring to empty cereal boxes, toothpaste boxes, cardboard from packaging, plastic containers, and even tin cans. If you let kids craft with tin cans, however, you need to make sure the open edge of the can doesn’t have any sharp edges. Simply file these off or squeeze them flat with a pair of pliers.

Found objects include leaves, twigs, rocks, snake skins, and other natural item a child might find. Perhaps there is a sheep farm nearby. If so, wool scraps can often be found stuck to the barbed wire fences. Any or all of these items can be used in kid crafts.

One of the most fun and popular family fun crafts for a rainy day is making a collage. Kids can glue anything down when making a collage. Use heavy paper for the background, and then let the creativity begin! For an extra challenge, a collage can be built around a theme, like food, animals, or babies. Old magazines can be searched for just the right pictures, which can be cut out and glued to the background. The older child might wish to cut out details from magazine pictures and reassemble them in new and interesting ways. They might cut out interesting words and headlines and add them as well.

Younger kid crafts can include collages made of glued down pasta, beans, popsicle sticks, leaves, and many other materials. Don’t forget about glitter, too.

Here are some recommended sites to find spring clip art. You should be able to find everything you need between all of them. For more specific needs, browse and shop the books below.

http://www.graphicsfactory.com/search/spring_P1.html
http://www.free-clipart-pictures.net/spring_clipart.html
http://www.clipartguide.com/_search_terms/spring.html
http://www.youthonline.ca/clipart/spring/

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