Crafts for Kids: Easy Ideas for the School Holidays
Quick answer
Easy crafts for kids at home start with a few basics: crayons, markers, pencils, paint, chalk and playdough. This guide groups ideas by supply, shows how to set up a craft table and includes simple projects to fill the school holidays without a trip to the shops.
Key takeaways
- Organise ideas by supply, so you can start with what you have.
- A craft table with an art smock and a few trays keeps clean-up short.
- Rotate one new activity a day to stretch the school holidays.
The school holidays go quicker when there is a craft box ready to open. You do not need a long shopping list, and the best ideas work with simple supplies you can top up from our arts and crafts supplies range.
Below are easy crafts for kids, organised by what is in the box, followed by tips for setting up a craft table that is easy to pack away.
Crayons and pencils
Colouring is a good starting point because it needs almost no set-up. The 36 pack crayon set includes a sharpener, and the 20 pack colouring pencils are the standard 17.5cm length.
- Crayon rubbings. Place a leaf or coin under a sheet of paper and rub with the side of a crayon.
- Colour by pattern. Draw a grid, fill each square with a different pattern or colour, and swap sheets with a friend.
- Draw your day. Fold a page into four and draw what you did at breakfast, lunch, afternoon and bedtime.
- Rainbow shading. Use pencils to blend colours across a page from light to dark.
- Story strips. Draw a short comic about a favourite toy, one panel at a time, and read it aloud when it is finished.
If you are planning a week of activities, give each day a theme. Monday could be a drawing day, Tuesday painting, Wednesday playdough and Thursday chalk outside. A simple weekly plan stops the "I am bored" question before it starts.
Markers and paint
When kids are ready for something more colourful, the 18 pack water based colour markers, the 21 colour watercolour set with a brush and the colour changing marker pack open up more ideas. Visit colouring and painting for the full range.
- Marker mandalas. Draw a circle and fill it with repeating shapes and colours.
- Crayon resist. Draw with a white crayon, then paint over it with watercolours to reveal the picture.
- Blow pen stencils. The colour magic blow pens come with 2 sheets of 8 stencils for spray-style artwork.
- Mini canvas painting. The mini kids canvas on easel is 10cm x 10cm, small enough to finish in one sitting.
Chalk and playdough
Take craft outside with the 100 pack chalk bucket for driveway art, or settle in with playdough on a rainy day. Playdough is brilliant for sculpting, cutting shapes and building mini worlds, and you can mix a homemade batch from kitchen ingredients if you prefer.
- Chalk town. Draw a map of roads and houses on the driveway, then drive toy cars along it.
- Playdough bakery. Roll, cut and stack playdough into cakes, pizzas and biscuits.
- Pattern prints. Press leaves, shells or toy wheels into flattened playdough to make textures.
Rainy days call for something that can be left half-finished and picked up later. Keep a project tray on a shelf with paper, a pencil and whatever is on the go, so kids can come back to it without a full set-up each time.
Craft kits and extras
Mix in a few craft kits for days when you want a ready-made project. Pipe cleaners, glue and gem stickers make an easy collage, and a dreamcatcher kit with an 11.8cm metal ring and 2.5m of rope gives you a longer project to work on together.
How to set up a craft table
| Station | Supplies | Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing | Crayons, pencils, paper | Crayon rubbings, comic strips |
| Painting | Watercolours, brushes, art smock | Resist paintings, mini canvases |
| Making | Playdough, pipe cleaners, glue | Animals, collages, sculptures |
| Outdoors | Chalk bucket | Driveway towns, hopscotch |
Put each station on a tray so it is easy to move and clean. Keep a cloth and a bin close by, and lay out newspaper or a plastic sheet under messy activities. The kids art smock measures 45cm x 61.5cm and is described as a multi-purpose premium apron suited to art and craft use, which keeps clothes cleaner.
Finally, display the finished pieces. A string across a wall with pegs makes an instant gallery, and kids love seeing their work on show. Rotate the display each week so there is always room for something new.
Common questions
What are easy crafts for kids at home?
Easy crafts for kids at home include crayon rubbings, marker mandalas, playdough sculptures and chalk drawings. They use basic supplies and need little set-up.
What craft supplies do you need for kids?
The craft supplies you need for kids start with crayons, pencils, markers, paper and glue. Add watercolours, chalk, playdough and pipe cleaners as you go.
What crafts can a 4 year old do?
A 4 year old can do crafts like colouring, crayon rubbings, playdough shaping and chalk drawing, with an adult nearby to help with scissors, glue and small pieces.
How do you set up a craft table?
Setting up a craft table works best with one tray per activity, a cloth for spills and an art smock for each child. Offer two or three choices at a time to keep things simple.
Products mentioned in this guide
Crayons Set 36 Pack with Sharpener 7.5cm
