Have you ever heard those familiar words, "I'm bored," coming from the mouth of your child? If so, then kid crafts are the answer. Provide your children with craft materials and boredom will be a thing of the past.

Children's crafts supplies include such essential materials as paper, crayons, safe scissors, and glue. Paper for kid crafts can include construction paper, plain typing paper, cardstock 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 quite a bit of loot, 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 and plastic containers.

Found objects include leaves, twigs, rocks, snakeskins, and other natural item a child might find. If you live in a rural area, you can even you use wool scraps found near sheep farms. Any or all of these items can be used to create your own children's craft kits. Just grab a shoebox and fill them with a variety of found supplies and it's there to be grabbed on a rainy day, and can be stored neat and tidily when you kids decide its time to play Nintendo instead :)

One of the most fun and popular kid crafts 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, but if you decide to let your kids use glitter, it's usually a good idea to lay out some plastic sheeting beneath their work area -- otherwise that glitter ends up everywhere and its frequently difficult to vacuum. If the budget allows only a few kid crafts splurges, remember that kids of all ages, particularly girls, really enjoy crafting artwork that includes glitter. But whether your kids are boys or girls, young or older, suggest some fun arts & crafts projects the next time your kids are bored!

Be sure to visit my hubpage on Kids Craft Ideas for Camp Counselors too!