Paper Plate Masterpieces
Paper plates aren’t just for snacks. Give your kids a stack and you’ve got the base for lions, butterflies, space stations whatever their imagination can handle. Toddlers and preschoolers especially get a kick out of turning a plain circle into something wild. Cut out ears, slap on some googly eyes, and boom: instant animal mask. Want to build a tiny snowy world? Add cotton balls and glitter. You don’t need to stock up at the craft store either markers, glue sticks, scraps of paper, and some tape go a long way.
This one’s perfect for small hands and short attention spans. It’s low mess, high reward, and sets them up to feel creative without needing constant direction. Plus, once they’ve made their creature or creation, you’ve got art to hang or props to play with.
DIY Slime Station
Slime is one of those magical crafts that manages to be equal parts fun and strangely satisfying. Making it at home is simple and doesn’t require anything fancy. Start with a base of school glue white or clear both work. Add a pinch of baking soda and stir. Then slowly mix in contact lens solution until the goo firms up. That’s it. You’ve made slime.
Want to level it up? Stir in food coloring for bold effects, glitter for sparkle, or tiny beads for crunch. It’s endlessly customizable.
The bonus? While kids are stretching, squeezing, and squishing, they’re picking up early science skills. It’s tactile, it’s hands on, and it’s a sneaky way to introduce concepts like non Newtonian fluids and chemical reactions without cracking open a textbook.
Cereal Box Creations
Don’t toss that cereal box it’s a goldmine for rainy day fun. Flatten it out, cut it up, and suddenly you’ve got the foundation for all sorts of kid powered builds. Think dollhouses with rooms and furniture, DIY puzzles with hand drawn art, or cereal box race cars taped together with bottle cap wheels.
Besides keeping hands busy, this kind of reuse challenges kids to problem solve: how do you turn a flat box into a structure that stands? What design makes the best ramp or puzzle cut? Bonus you don’t need a trip to the store. Just some scissors, markers, tape, and imagination.
It’s creative play that doesn’t cost a cent and teaches kids to see potential in everyday things.
Sock Puppet Theater
Grab those mismatched socks buried in the back of the drawer this one’s got all the ingredients for a low cost, high imagination afternoon. With a few buttons, some yarn, and a dab of glue, you’ve got instant characters: dragons, aliens, sleepy sheep, talk show hosts you name it. No sewing required (unless you want bonus points).
Once the puppets are ready, kids can dream up their own skits. Encourage them to write a quick story or freestyle dialogue. It’s goofy, creative, and keeps them off screens. Even better? Build a simple stage out of any cardboard box. Cut out a window, decorate it with spare wrapping paper or markers, and boom curtains up. It’s a full on puppet theater, powered by imagination and leftovers from the junk drawer.
Rainy Day Treasure Hunt
Take a rainy afternoon and turn it into an epic adventure. Start by drawing a simple treasure map with landmarks like the “Couch Caves” or “Kitchen Volcano.” Use old envelopes to hide handwritten clues around the house, leading kids from one spot to the next. The final “treasure” could be a snack, a small toy, or even a new book for story time.
This DIY treasure hunt isn’t just fun it quietly builds reading skills, logic, and creative thinking. Kids have to decode hints, follow sequences, and stay focused from start to finish.
Best part? You don’t need anything fancy. A pencil, a few sticky notes, and some imagination are enough to get going. Whether it’s one child or a sibling duo, this game fuels curiosity and keeps boredom at bay.
Recycled Crayon Art
Give those broken crayons a second life with this simple, colorful craft! It’s a great way to recycle art supplies while sparking creativity.
What You’ll Need
Broken or leftover crayons (paper removed)
Silicone molds or muffin tins
Baking sheet
Adult supervision for oven use
How to Make It
- Sort and Fill: Let kids sort crayons by color or mix for a rainbow effect. Fill molds about halfway.
- Melt: With adult assistance, place molds on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F (120°C) for 10 15 minutes until melted.
- Cool and Pop Out: Allow to cool completely before removing from molds.
Why It’s Great
Encourages creativity through color choices and combinations
Promotes sustainability by reusing old supplies
Teaches patience as kids wait for their new crayons to harden
Use the finished crayons for future art projects or just enjoy coloring with a brand new set you made yourselves!
Tissue Paper Collage
This one’s as simple as it is satisfying. All you need are scraps of tissue paper, a glue stick, and some sturdy cardstock. Let the kids layer translucent pieces in overlapping shades to create rich, textured designs. It’s a hands on way to explore how colors mix and how texture adds depth. There’s no right or wrong just color, shape, and freedom.
Once the collages dry, tape them up on a sunny window. Light filters through the tissue paper and transforms the artwork into an instant stained glass effect. It’s art meets atmosphere and a calm, focused activity that sneaks in a little color theory too.
Indoor Nature Crafts
Bring the outdoors inside with simple, nature inspired crafts using items you likely already have from a recent walk or backyard adventure. These projects engage kids creatively while nurturing an appreciation for the natural world even on rainy days.
What to Collect
Before getting started, gather your natural materials:
Twigs
Pebbles
Leaves (dry or fresh)
Pinecones or acorns (optional)
Craft Ideas to Try
Pebble Pets: Use paint or permanent markers to create mini animals or faces on smooth stones. Add googly eyes for extra fun.
Stick Sculptures: Arrange twigs into simple shapes, animals, or geometric designs. Use glue or string to hold them together.
Leaf Stamps: Dip leaves in washable paint and press them onto cardstock or old fabric for beautiful, detailed prints.
Why It Works
These crafts offer more than just fun:
Encourage creative reuse of natural elements
Connect kids to the outdoors even indoors
Support fine motor skills and imaginative play
Tip: Lay down newspaper or a plastic sheet to make cleanup easier once the crafting begins.
DIY Board Game Making
Turn an ordinary afternoon into a full blown creative session. All you need is some cardboard, a few dice, markers, and the wild imagination of your kids. Let them take charge decide the rules, design the board, make up characters, and even invent the way to win. It can be as silly or as structured as they want. Want space pirates racing through candy planets? Done. A detective chase through a haunted zoo? Go for it.
Building a board game from scratch sharpens problem solving, encourages storytelling, and gives kids a sense of ownership over something they made start to finish. Bonus: once it’s playable, you’ve got a new go to game for future rainy days.
Fingerprint Art Fun
No brushes, no rules just fingers, ink pads, and imagination. This one’s all about embracing the mess. Kids can turn their fingerprints into anything from bugs to balloons to whole farmyards. Each print becomes a head, body, or background it’s simple, instinctive, and totally hands on.
To mix things up, glue on googly eyes, add tiny hats and signs with paper scraps, or turn a basic thumbprint into a mini monster. The charm is in how unpolished it all looks, which makes it perfect for little creators still mastering fine motor skills.
Fast, fun, and low pressure, fingerprint art delivers big laughs with minimal prep. Clean up’s not bad either, as long as you have wet wipes nearby.
Explore more fun rainy day crafts to make the most of your family’s indoor time!
