It’s summer! We made it through a super crazy year of school during a pandemic! Phew! I have nothing but gratitude for the teachers who worked tirelessly to adjust and make it a great experience for the kids, and I’m so impressed by the millions of kids who adapted and made it work! My hats are off to all! Now that school is out, it's time to relax a bit! It’s time to sleep in, not worry about homework, play outside, and craft and create!

My kids have a list of a few things that they have to accomplish each day before they can use electronics. If I let them, they would be on electronics ALL DAYYYY. I definitely have to limit their time. One of the things on their lists of things that they need to do before electronics is to create something. This can be any number of things: draw, color, build with Legos, do a puzzle, write a song, etc. It’s no secret that we are fans of crafts around here, so my kids usually don’t complain about having to create each day. The problem is that they often look to me for ideas. I like to do a Kids’ Craft Camp session with them once a week in the summer, but day to day, I like for them to be more independent in their crafting. To help my kids come up with their own craft ideas I have put together a craft basket full of supplies for creating. I thought I would share some of my fave supplies with you if you wanted to put together your own!

Kid Craft Basket Ideas:

Watercolors. I love these inexpensive sets from Amazon with lots of colors.
Watercolor paper. If you have watercolors, it really helps to have the right kind of paper!
Air Dry Clay. So many projects can be made with air dry clay.
Seed Beads. My kids have this set from Amazon, and it has made SOOOO many bracelets and necklaces! We often give this exact set as a gift because it has such great colors!
Super Puffs. These are new to me from the last year. Picture a cheese puff, but without the cheese and made out of rice. You stick one end of a puff into a wet sponge, then you can stick it to another puff. My kids LOVE these! These are another favorite gift to give!

Paint Sticks. These are a fun alternative to real paints. Think of them as a combination of paint and an oil pastel. They are less messy than paints, but glide more easily than a pastel.

Omegacryl Yarn. This yarn is really my favorite for friendship bracelets! I get mine from The Neon Tea Party, and it comes in the best, brightest colors!

Yarn. My kids love using yarn for crafts. They can make pom poms, finger weave, make masks and use yarn for tying, string little paper garlands, etc.
Foam stickers. My kids always love making pictures with foam stickers. I always have a few on hand.
Shrinky Dinks. These are so fun to create. Draw a picture, then watch it shrink in the oven. I liked this set from Amazon because it also came with jewelry fixtures.

Paint by Sticker books. My son in particular could spend hours on these sticker books. I love that they are zero mess and that they have different levels for different age ranges.

Diamond Dotz. My kids discovered these last year and have really enjoyed them! They are similar to a sticker by number, but you use tiny gems instead of stickers. I like the small designs (like these super heroes, animals, and unicorns) for kids so that they don’t feel overwhelmed. These are probably best for ages 6+.

Polymer Clay. This clay hardens in the oven, so it is great for jewelry or little figurines. Look for Fimo or Sculpey at craft stores, or this set with 60 colors on Amazon.
Puff Paint. You can use puff paint on t-shirts, canvas bags, sunglasses, etc. It always takes me back to the 80s!

Perler (melty) beads. I love that these have been around since I was a kid, and they are still just as fun!
Craft kits from Michaels and Target. Both of these stores have fun little prepackaged crafts. I always grab a few when I am at Michaels to add to my craft basket. I like that it already has everything you need to create the project.

Hopefully this will help kick-start your summer crafting! Obviously make sure that your craft supplies are appropriate for the ages of your kids, but many of these can work for lots of ages! Get that basket ready and let that creativity flow!