What could be nicer than sitting indoors in sub-zero temperatures in winter, drinking hot chocolate and doing crafts with the kids. From cute 3D penguins to snowmen made from plastic plates and a family of polar bears made from knitting yarn – the next 5 ideas are ideal for daycare-aged children.
Crafts with children in winter: snowmen made from plastic plates
These cute snowmen are guaranteed to put a smile on your face! They are super easy to make and leave room for creative interpretations. And best of all – all you need is plastic plates, crayons and cardboard!
Here's how to make the snowmen: Paint or stamp a smiling face on a plastic plate. You can use paints of your choice - poster paints that you can fill into painting bottles with sponge caps are a good choice. This means that even the smallest painters can dab, paint and stamp with ease. Freehand draw a cap with earflaps, a hat or a crown on white cardboard and ask the children to paint it. Then attach the hat using hot glue. The cute snowmen are ready!
Polar bear made of cardboard and knitting yarn
The next idea is also super simple and can be done by even complete beginners. You will need cardboard, markers, glue, scissors and knitting yarn (pink and blue).
This is how the cute polar bear family is made: first make two templates - a large one for the parents and a small one for the children. Then transfer it to cardboard – you need a total of 4 bear figures. Have the children cut out the bear figures and then paint faces on them. Now attach one end of the knitting yarn to the back of the figure with glue, wrap it around the bear's body and then glue the other end to the back as well. Then cut the paws out of cardboard and attach them. Complete!
DIY project for daycare: snowy owl
The next craft project is great for small children. It's uncomplicated, a lot of fun and promotes the little ones' fine motor skills! We'll explain to you how you can make a cute snowy owl yourself.
Instructions: You will need a pine cone, colored cardboard or yellow, white and black felt, cotton wool, scissors and glue. Proceed as follows: First, clean the tenon and fill any gaps with cotton wool. Then cut out the beak, eyes and wings from the felt material. Then glue the details in place and voilà – the snowy owl is ready!
Making a penguin: easy idea for toddlers
These cute penguins are ready in three easy steps. For the 3D figures you need black, white and orange colored paper, scissors and glue.
Instructions: Cut out the two strips from the black construction paper and assemble the body. Glue the white detail to the belly, attach the eyes (you can also use googly eyes), beak and feet. Cut out the ice cream from white paper and glue the penguin on it.
Painting a knitted hat with children ages 2 and up
For the little craft enthusiasts is the next easy DIY project. You will need a knitted hat template (you can also use a coloring page, print it out and cut it out), watercolor paints and painting bottles with sponge caps. Depending on how old the child is, you can help with painting. Below we will explain to you how to make this collage effortlessly.
Paint the background first - experiment with watercolors, you can mix them as you like and try different painting techniques. Then cut the knit hat and paint it. You can also cut out the hat from colored paper. Glue the hat to the painted paper and form a ball of cotton wool. Attach the cotton ball and then have the children stamp the hat with the paint bottles. This creates a beautiful winter motif in no time.
Keeping small children busy at home is always a big challenge, especially when the weather is bad. With these DIY ideas, crafting fun is guaranteed for the whole family and you can also do other tasks at home while the little ones are busy painting, cutting and gluing.
