I have always loved making things. Right from a young age my sister and I would spend our afternoons sticking and glittering everything in sight. Hours and hours of fun were had making little Acorn men as we got older or wool pom poms to hang around our rooms. Now I am loving creating things for the girls from party decor to cushions and garlands for their bedrooms. I’m always happy to give anything a go.

It seems Molly and Alice have inherited my love of making and doing. I try to do something at least once a week with them and make it as fun as possible. As the girls have got older we have got a bit more adventurous but in the early days simple sticking or colouring was enough. It doesn’t have to be complicated. However, it may get messy so I have had to learn to tame my inner OCD!

I will admit that my craft kit is extensive but I thought I would share my list of essentials that will let you create hours of fun with your littles. These staples will see you through from a young age and can be added to as the kids get older.

Children’s Craft Kit Essentials

  • Paper – Grab a pack of A4 multi coloured paper and it will be great for everything from colouring to cutting.
  • Card – A multi pack of A4 card is an essential
  • Paper Plates – Plain and simple value white paper plates are ideal for everything from mask making to hanging ghosts! Go for the matt versions as then they can be drawn on too. Have a look on Pinterest for loads of paper plate crafts.
  • Glue – A pritstick and some PVA will be used a lot.
  • Crayons and felt tips – Go for washable every time! The girls got new Crayola felt tip sets for Christmas and so far I have successfully cleaned them off the floor, clothes and the kids!
  • Paint – Poster paint in a few bright colours are a good addition.
  • Paintbrushes and Paint pot – I like the chunky ELC easy grip paintbrushes and they have a whole host of styles to choose.
  • Paint palette – This is good for squirting paint on to or even glue
  • Pipe cleaners – I love pipe cleaners for making fun figures or adding arms to spiders.
  • Wool – Wool can be used for everything from hanging pictures to making pom poms. It is also great for making wiggly pictures. Spread some glue on a piece of card and then give the kids strings of wool to wind around.
  • Stickers – I always have a stash of stickers. I just pick them up when I see them. The big foam stickers are a good choice for little fingers. The easy peel off back mean its super easy, and non messy, for kids to make some fun pictures. Just give them a piece of card or even a paper plate and let them stick away.
  • Glitter – Everything looks better with glitter!! I also love the glitter glue pens for a slightly less messy alternative.
  • Apron – Go for an apron with sleeves to keep their clothes clean.
  • Oil Cloth or Mat – Unless you are happy to scrub glitter off your kitchen table I would suggest getting a oil cloth tablecloth or a messy mat. You can then spread this out, give it a quick wipe at the end and pack it away again.
  • Baby Wipes – Most importantly make sure you keep some baby wipes in the box for cleaning up afterwards
  • Ready Made Kit – If you just want a one stop shop of craftiness then pick up one of these collage boxes from ELC. I got one for Molly and it is great. Packed full of everything you might need.

    • Things to Add

    There are a whole host of other household items you can add in to the box to create a bit more variety.

  • Toilet Rolls – These can be used for so many different things. You could create funny people by adding faces and wool hair or as musical shakers. Just attach some greaseproof paper to the ends and fill with lentils or pasta and secure.
  • Tin Foil
  • Bubble Wrap – Bubble wrap makes a really fun printing method. Wrap it around the end of the toilet roll and secure with an elastic band. Then let the kids dip it in paint and stamp out a textured picture. It is also amazing wrapped around a rolling pin for a cool painting method.
  • Pasta – Molly loves making macaroni necklaces. We paint the macaroni, sprinkle with glitter and then thread on to wool.

    •  
    Once you are all stocked up with your Children’s craft kit I can share some more fun things to make with you all! Do you enjoy doing craft and pictures with the kids? Any great ideas for simple things to make and do?

    SHOP THE POST