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Kid Crafts Magazine
Kid Crafts Magazine is the only digitally delivered magazine dedicated to children's crafting. We strive to bring you the best craft projects for younger children from throughout the Internet. This newsletter can be viewed online. Read previous issues of our newsletters located in our Newsletter Archive.
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My oldest is starting kindergarten this year (at the beginning of September), so it's been something that's been on our minds. In addition, I've been getting tons of requests for 'back to school' and 'parent's night' crafts. To tell you the truth, I didn't have a whole lot to put up on the subject. So... I did a little research, added a few of my own ideas, and came up with a 'Back to School' theme page to post on the site.
For those of you who have younger children, run a preschool class, or are looking for some 'little kid' crafts, many of the ideas below can be adapted for use with younger children. Hopefully this will keep everyone happy! Until next week... Chris
Backpack Craft - A very cute project to turn a paper bag into a little backpack for kids to put their little treasures in. This craft could be done with younger children, but older children will probably appreciate it more.
Time Chain - Check the calendar and count how many days until the important event like Halloween, Christmas, a birthday, etc. Then cut strips of construction paper that are about 1 - 2 inches wide and 5 - 6 inches long. You'll need one stip of paper for each day until the event. To assemble the chain, bend the first strip into a circle and glue or staple in place. Put the next strip through the center of the circle, bend it into a circle and fasten in place. Repeat this with all your strips to make a paper chain. Hang the chain up in a prominent place and then let the child break off one link of the chain each day. When they get to the last link, then they know the special day has arrived. Children, as a rule, have very little sense of time. This is a good way to get them thinking about the concept.
Back To School Friends - A cute set of free paper dolls that you can print out and assemble.
How Much Have I Grown? - This is a project that you can start at the beginning of the school year and finish at the end. It's a great 'last week of school' finisher and makes a nice memory gift for parents. I got the idea from a project that I did in Girl Scouts when I was a kid. Lay each child down on big sheets of butcher paper and trace around them with a marker. Then let the kids decorate themselves with markers, crayons, etc. They can draw on the clothes they're wearing that day, special things they like, etc. Then you write the child's answers to a few questions inside each child's outline. You could ask questions like what's your favorite part of school, favorite food, television show, etc. Make sure you keep a list of the original questions. These kid outlines could be part of 'parent's night' decorations and then will give the teacher a chance to talk to each child individually at the beginning of the school year in a non-threatening atmosphere. When you're done with the tracings, roll them all up together and put them away for safekeeping instead of sending them home.
During the last week of the school year, you would repeat the tracing process right on top of the previous drawings with a different color marker to see how much the kids have all grown. You can also ask the same questions again (or different ones) and put the new answers on the outside of the tracings (or in between them if the kids have really grown). It's fun to compare the before and after answers to the questions. You could also include a before and after snapshot if you wanted.
School Days Picture Frame - This is a cute picture frame made from a yard stick and some 'extra' school supplies. This one would be tough for the little kids to do on their own -- but it would make a nice class picture where everyone contributes an embellishment.
School House - An old fashioned school house design for children to cut out and glue together. Assembling this school may take a little adult help.
Art Display Magnet - You'll need: Stir Stick for Paint (Available at any Hardware Store), Paint, 3 Spring-Type Clothespins, Glue, and Magnet Strip.
Paint the stir stick and the three clothespins any color you want. Let dry completely. Glue the three clothespins onto the stir stick, making sure that they are evenly spaced apart. (The clothespins will be what you use to hold the artwork.) Attach the magnet strip to the back of the paint stir stick. Now you can use it to display your child's art on the fridge. You can also personalize it with the child's name or add other embellishments like stickers, stamps, glitter, etc.
Schultute - German children entering the first grade are given a gift on the first day of school. A large, decorated paper cone called a Schultute is filled with such things as candy, pencils, and small gifts, and presented either in the morning or after school. This might also be a nice 'appeasement gift' for a younger child left behind when their sibling starts the first day of school.
Paper Towel Tube Holders - Decorate a paper towel tube with paint, markers, glitter, stickers, construction paper, crayons, or anything you desire. Once completely dry, you can roll up the child's pictures and put them inside so that they can get them home in one piece or to present as a gift.
Egg Carton School Bus - This is a simple craft for preschool children about to begin school or for younger siblings of school age kids... plus it's cute!
Calling All Kid Cooks!
Thank you to all those who have sent in their best recipes. They are much appreciated, but we still need more to get a good recipe section going on the site!
So, I'm asking again... Please send me your kid recipe ideas -- both ideas that are crafty and meal recipes that are nutritious that children will eat.
Please send your ideas to All recipe submissions will remain anonymous (unless you want your name shown).
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