As parents and foster carers, rainy days with cooped-up children who get restless are never fun. Desperate measures to get them occupied can sometimes lead to expensive, unnecessary craft purchases. However, you don’t need to spend a fortune when the weather outside is less than cheery. Here are a few craft ideas you can do with things you already own.
Sock Puppets Made From Old Socks
Sock puppets are the perfect rainy day playtime activity. Take any unmatched socks, especially colourful and patterned if possible, or socks with holes that are destined for the bin. Glue on wiggly eyes, pom poms, feathers, pipe cleaners or other crafty treasures you probably already have in the house. Encourage the little ones to design creatures, animals or people and put on a show!
Dream Catchers with Tea Strainers
Dream catchers are sweet, simple crafts that have a cherished meaning. All you need are some sturdy tea strainers, string, feathers and beads you might already have. Help the children tie string around the tea strainer hoop, then lace and knot their own dream catcher. Weave extra strips of fabric, yarn or ribbon through the tea strainer holes to make it beautiful and unique. Then add beads, feathers and other embellishments for a magic ‘catch good dreams’ charm.
Upcycled Tin Can Robots or Planters
Clean out some old tin cans and help the children transform them into creative masterpiece robots, aliens or people. Paint with metallic colours and glue on nuts, bolts, googly eyes, pipe cleaner antennae, pom poms or other buttons and baubles to invent fun imaginary friends. Or poke small holes in the bottom of the tins to make miniature planters for succulents or herbs. Eventually, when the sun comes back out, you can use some of your fostering allowance to fund the children’s newfound love of gardening!
Craft Stick Catapults with Rubber Bands
Dip into the world of simple physics by crafting easy catapults from popsicle sticks, rubber bands and a paddle pop stick or spoon handle. Try flinging bits of balled-up paper, cotton wool balls or mini pom poms across the room to see who can get the longest or most accurate distance! Experiment with changing the angle or number of sticks and rubber bands used.
Toilet Roll Creations
Toilet rolls are a children’s crafting staple for a reason. They are endlessly versatile and fantastic boredom busters. Make mini marble runs for endless rolling fun by cutting zig-zag lines in stacked toilet rolls. Or design a vase, pencil holder, mini frog, caterpillar or any other toilet roll creature imagination can conjure. Wrap them in pretty scrap paper and get decorating with pipe cleaners, colouring pens and found bits and bobs from around the house.
Rainy days stuck inside are not always productive or peaceful. But simple upcycling crafts from forgotten items in your home provides a creative outlet for stir crazy kids without breaking the bank. Engaging their imagination to handcraft playthings like sock puppets, dream catchers or toilet roll creations makes those long rainy days fly by with a bit of fun.
