So, I was chilling at home, and my kids were going nuts with boredom. I figured, why not do something fun and creative? I remembered seeing a bunch of cool art activities online that use stuff you can just find around the house. I thought, “Perfect, let’s do this!”
Getting Started
First, I gathered all the materials. We collected a bunch of cardboard boxes from our recent online orders, some old magazines that were just gathering dust, and a stack of newspapers that were heading for the recycling bin anyway. I also grabbed some basic art supplies like scissors, glue, and some colorful markers we had lying around.
Diving into Projects
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Project 1: Cardboard Creations
We started with the cardboard. I helped the kids cut out different shapes—circles, squares, triangles, you name it. Then, they started sticking them together to create all sorts of things. My little one made a wonky-looking robot, while the older one went for a more ambitious castle. They decorated their creations with markers and had a blast.
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Project 2: Magazine Collages
Next up, we tackled the old magazines. I showed them how to flip through and tear out pictures or words that caught their eye. We ended up with a pile of colorful images. The kids then arranged and glued these onto paper to make their own unique collages. One made a nature scene, and the other created something totally abstract and wild.
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Project 3: Newspaper Art
Last but not least, we used the newspapers. I cut them into strips, and we tried our hand at some simple paper weaving. It was a bit tricky at first, but we got the hang of it. The kids made placemats, and I even managed to weave a small basket. It was a bit lopsided, but hey, it was our first try!
The Aftermath
By the end of the day, our living room was a mess, but it was a happy mess. The kids were super proud of their creations, and I was just glad they were entertained without staring at a screen all day. Plus, we got to recycle a bunch of stuff that would have otherwise been thrown away. Win-win!
This whole experience was a great reminder that you don’t need fancy or expensive materials to have a good time and be creative. Just a little bit of imagination and some everyday items can lead to hours of fun. I’ll definitely be doing this again soon. Maybe next time, we’ll try painting with homemade paints. Let’s see how that goes!