8 Adorable Rainbow Loom Animals Your Kids Will Adore

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Rainbow Loom Elephant CharmRainbow Loom is such a great idea for kids who love to go outside the box with their crafting. It’s so crazy to even think how we are now able to create cute little Rainbow Loom animals out of something as simple as rubber bands, and oh boy is this craft idea addictive. I currently have several different Rainbow Loom animals decorating my keys and random places around my house. I love learning new patterns, especially when they’re as cute as the Rainbow Loom Elephant Charm. This Rainbow Loom pattern was even easier for me to conquer because there was an amazing video that took me step by step through the process.

The great thing about Rainbow Loom is that it can definitely keep kids entertained for hours. I mean it’s almost impossible to get bored over these neat design ideas. My little niece is actually the one who showed me how to make my first Rainbow Loom animal. We both decided that the Slithering Rainbow Loom Snakes pattern was the way to go because it’s a little easier on beginners. We had a lot of fun working on this little project together. So if you’re looking for some bonding time ideas with your kids, this activity is definitely a great idea. They will love being able to teach their parents what they learned how to do.

Fun Rainbow Loom Animal Patterns

Adorable Turtle Rainbow Loom CharmYou can never go wrong with adorable Rainbow Loom animals. These amazing tutorials are great for guiding your kids through the process slowly so they don’t get frustrated over this activity. Pretty soon your house will be filled with tons of these rubber band animals.

BONUS Rainbow Loom Videos

These Rainbow Loom videos just made creating cute little charms a lot easier! You’ll find that it’s hard to keep your kids from making tons of rubber band animals after they get a hold of these fun Rainbow Loom designs.

Rainbow Loom Jellyfish Charm

The great thing about this Rainbow Loom Jellyfish Charm is that it’s one of the easier animal charm patterns. So if you come across this post and your kids are just beginning to master the art of the Rainbow Loom, then this is one of the first animal charms that they should tackle.

Rainbow Loom 3D “Piggy Bank” Charm

The first thing that popped into my head when I saw this Piggy Bank charm was the little pig from Toy Story. I love pigs, so of course when I saw it I was very excited to share the idea with my niece. Her Piggy Bank Charm count is at 5 and growing.

Rainbow Loom Polar Bear Cub Charm

Kids always love the baby animals, so they’ll definitely love the Rainbow Loom Polar Bear Cub Charm. Rainbow Loom animal charms can’t get much cuter than this!

 

Rainbow Loom

If your kids love Rainbow Loom, then they’ll love all of the rest of our patterns! We have tons of fun Rainbow Loom bracelet patterns that they’ll go crazy over.

 

 

 

Have your kids ever made Rainbow Loom animals?

10 Easy Friendship Bracelet Patterns for Kids

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10 Easy Friendship Bracelet Patterns for KidsWhen I was a kid, friendship bracelets were the “go-to” craft when you wanted to get even the littlest bit creative. My friends and I would get together to show each other the new ways we learned how to braid our bracelets. Of course, we didn’t know how to do the nifty friendship bracelet designs like the Trendy Simple Stick Bracelet or the Hand-Crocheted Knit Bracelet, but we perfected the art of crafting the Classic Friendship Bracelets and the Tightly Woven Friendship Bracelet. I taught my kids how to make the classic braided bracelet first, but then I found all of these cool new ways to make a bracelet! They absolutely loved these cool friendship bracelet design ideas that I found.

Your kids will have a blast with all of these new friendship bracelet patterns! They can get super creative by adding beads to “bling-up” the bracelet, or they can make their friendship bracelets out of felt. There are just so many new and fun ways that they can create bracelets for their friends to let them know that they’re thinking about them. The great thing about these bracelet design ideas is that they’re super easy! Most of them take no time at all, so your kids will have plenty of time to make a lot. They’ll also love being able to share the new ways they learned to make a friendship bracelet with their friends.

 

Classic Friendship Bracelet Patterns

Classic friendship bracelets are always super fun to make, and they’re a great way to start teaching your kids how to weave a simple friendship bracelet.

Tightly Woven Friendship BraceletTightly Woven Friendship Bracelet

Classic Friendship Bracelets

How to Make a Braid Round

 

Easy Bejeweled Bracelets

If you want to give your friend a little something extra on her bracelet, then put some bling on it! You can never go wrong with a little extra sparkle. There are so many fun ways that you can add something else to a friendship bracelet. Your kids will love being able to add colored beads or gems to their hand-woven creations. My little girl loves putting jewels on the bracelets that she makes.

Stretchy Jewelry GemsStretchy Jewelry Gems

Giant Jewel Bracelet

Easy Beaded Bracelet

 

Other Friendship Bracelet Designs

If you want to make your friendship bracelet design even more unique, then why not make it out of something other than just string? You can make it out of felt, or you can put your favorite buttons on it! There are just an endless amount of cute and fun ways to make your friendship bracelet a one-of-a-kind.

Hand-Crocheted Knit BraceletNo Sew Flower Power Bracelet

Trendy Simple Stick Bracelet

Whimsical Button Bracelet

Hand-Crocheted Knit Bracelet

 

 

What fun kinds of friendship bracelets do your kids know how to make?

Teacher’s Pet: 19 Incredibly Easy Teacher Appreciation Gifts

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Everyone has that one teacher that we’ll never forget, who inspired us in some way and helped us grow as a person. For me, that was my high school art teacher, who encouraged me to experiment with all kinds of art and to push my creative boundaries. I’ll admit, I am terrible at drawing and art in general, but her encouragement definitely inspired me to push myself creatively and for that, I thank her deeply. Being a teacher is certainly an under appreciated field, given how extremely important their jobs are, so as this school year ends, let your little ones show their teacher just how special they are with this collection of incredibly easy teacher appreciation gifts.

From classroom-inspired gifts to one-of-a-kind crafts that your kids can personalize, there’s a perfect gift for any and every teacher. I’ve made sure to include gifts in a jar and other budget-friendly crafts that go a long way, so that your kids can shower their teachers in awesome gifts without breaking the bank. Your kids will love showing their teacher they love them with this list of fantastic end of year ways to say thank you.

If you have any other great teacher appreciation ideas, please leave a comment below. Thanks for reading and be sure to celebrate your child’s teacher with these wonderful DIY teacher appreciation gifts!

Teacher Appreciation

Teacher’s Pet: 19 Incredibly Easy Teacher Appreciation Gifts

An Apple for the Teacher: Cute Apple Gifts

Tiny Apple Refrigerator Magnets

Fun Fact: Did you know the tradition of giving teachers apples started in Denmark?

Write to It: Pencil-Inspired Gifts

Crayon Vase Gift for Teachers

This DIY craft would look perfect on any teacher’s desk!

Gifts in a Jar and Other DIY Ideas

Teacher Appreciation Day Goodie Jar

A great gift idea with tons of wonderful surprises!

One-of-Kind Teacher Appreciation Gifts

School Rules Homemade Chalkboard

Your kids can show their teacher just how much they rule!

How will your kids’ show their teachers some appreciation this school year? Leave a comment below!

On the Road Again: 27 Easy Travel Activities and Crafts for Summer Vacation

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Oh, summer road trips. Long hours spent on the road, fun trips to amusement parks and sightseeing stops, my sister and I fighting in the backseat…nothing says summer vacation more than a family road trip. If your family will be hitting the road this summer or even flying to an adventurous location, I’ve decided to create a list of awesome boredom busters to give your kids some entertainment during those endless hours in the backseat. So buckle up, because I guarantee this list of travel activities will keep your kids occupied during traffic jams or long lines at the airport.

This list of crazy amazing summer crafts for kids contains not only exciting travel games, but free printable activity sheets, easy art projects, and ways to keep your kids (and car) organized. Most importantly, I’ve included a list of relatively mess-free snacks that are travel-friendly, so that your kids won’t be asking you to stop at every McDonald’s you pass. This list of travel activities is literally everything you could ask for!

I’d love to hear how you keep your kids entertained during summer vacation below in the comments, whether you have DIY craft ideas, fun and easy snack recipes, or organization tips. Here’s wishing your family happy traveling!

On the Road Again - 27 Easy Travel Activities and Crafts for Summer Vacation

On the Road Again: 27 Easy Travel Activities and Crafts for Summer Vacation

Kid-Approved DIY Travel Games

Vintage Vacation Travel Games

Kids and parents will love this collection of vintage-inspired crafts!

Free Printable Activity Sheets

Mandala Free Coloring Pages

Be sure to check out all of these awesome free coloring pages!

Organization Ideas

Kid's Road Trip Activity Binders

Tons of great ideas for keeping your kids and your backseat organized!

Easy Art Projects for Kids

Airplane Doodle Books

The perfect way to keep kids entertained during long flights!

Yummy Mess-Free Snack Ideas

Yummy Ladybug Healthy Snack

A deliciously healthy alternative to junk food!

How do you keep your kids entertained during summer road trips? Leave a comment below!

10 Ways to Make Homemade Playdough and Homemade Slime

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10 Ways to Make Homemade Playdough and Homemade SlimePlaydough and slime are making a come-back! When I was younger, playdough and slime was all the rage among my friends, especially the little playdough kits that you could use to make your little plastic people grow crazy hair. The slime was equally as fun because of the ooey-gooey feeling between your fingers. We always used to pretend that they were little aliens.

Now, I can only imagine how much better playing with playdough and slime would have been if I had learned how to make homemade playdough and homemade slime. When I saw the Giant Bubble Slime Recipe, I literally did a double-take. Now you can blow bubbles with your slime? I thought to myself that this slime recipe would be a huge hit for my niece. She loves bubbles and slime, so putting those two together would have her overjoyed.

These days there are just so many awesome ways that playdough and slime can be made! All of these recipes will definitely have your little ones super excited about being able to be a little inventive with their toys. I have officially become the “favorite” aunt because of these fun recipes that I gave my little niece. Every time I go to visit her, she asks if I have a new recipe for her.

Incredibly Easy Homemade Playdough

Galaxy GooHomemade playdough is definitely the star of the kids’ craft world. Your little ones can take regular playdough and put a fun new twist on it! They can make Galaxy Goo that looks exactly like the night sky, or they can make the Edible Oatmeal Playdough Recipe. When you tell them that they can now eat their homemade playdough, they won’t believe their little ears! Now they can make their wonderful creations and eat them, which is most kids’ dream when it comes to playing with playdough.

Slippery Slime Recipes

Sparkly Ocean Slime RecipeKids love the gooey feeling of homemade slime because they’re very interested in different textures. They love to hold things with their little hands, and they love to make things with their hands even more. These recipes are so simple that they could probably learn how to make slime all by themselves. They will have a blast putting a fun summertime twist on their homemade slime with the Sparkly Ocean Slime Recipe. They’ll be captivated by how their ocean slime sparkles just like the ocean waters would in the sunlight. There are so many fun slime recipes for your kids to chose from that they won’t be able to decide which one to make first.

 

 

Golden Glitter Slime without Borax

 

How to Make Homemade Playdough: 22 Recipes for Homemade Playdough and Homemade Slime has a lot more fun homemade playdough and slime recipes that your little ones can try!

 

 

What types of homemade playdough and homemade slime have your little ones made?

16 Honestly Easy Kids’ Craft Ideas

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16 Honestly Easy Kids' Craft IdeasThe big thing about finding crafts for your kids is worrying if they will be able to do them by themselves. Younger kids always like to show their independence by creating things on their own. We all hate to see when this happens, but this is a great way for them to gain their footing in the world. So why not encourage their new-found independence with some fun and easy crafts that will blow their minds? They can get as independent as they want to with these easy crafts.

There will not be a chance for them to sigh with boredom when they play with their Giant Bubble Slime Recipe or with their Fun Exploding Paint Bags. There are even fun edible crafts that will get them excited about cooking and turning their tasty treats into little works of art. Every kid loves eating sweet treats, so why not make it even more fun for your kids by letting them make their treats themselves?

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TODAY-I-WILL-CREATE

Amazingly Fun and Easy Crafts

Neon Glowing Water BeadsAll of these fun and easy crafts will have your little ones super excited about craft time. They will love the Lots o Dots Tie Dye T-Shirt because what kid doesn’t like to design his or her own T-shirt? Tie dye is definitely all the rage for kids right now, so add something to your list of fun crafts for kids that they won’t be able to say no to. There are also tons of other crafts for your kids if they would rather do something else. They can do anything from making their own Galaxy Goo to Rockin’ Melted Crayon Art.

Super Easy Edible Crafts

Sweet as Nectar Butterfly PizzaOf course kids are always after the sweet and the sugary, so be the best parent on the planet and introduce them to these fun and easy edible crafts. They will go nuts over the Edible Puzzle because they finally get to play with their food before they eat it! This  concept will definitely catch them by surprise. Now, there are other yummy edible crafts that won’t get your little ones all sugared up and bouncing off of the walls. They can try their little artistic hands at the Sweet as Nectar Butterfly Pizza, and make their yummy butterfly treat as cute and colorful as they can.

Easy Crafts for Outdoor Fun

Easy Homemade Bubble SolutionKids hate being cooped up inside all day, especially when it’s bright and sunny outside. Now they can be even more excited about running outside and into the warm sunshine with their Easy Homemade Bubble Solution. Now they can blow tons of bubbles and run to pop them. These fun easy crafts are definitely what your kids will need to have the best time of their lives outside.

 

Eye-catching Marbled Fish ArtThe great thing about easy crafts is that your kids can make them all by themselves and then surprise you with what they created! 27 Easy Kids’ Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers has even more fun ideas that will have your kids super excited about craft time.

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What kind of easy crafts do your little ones like to do?

15 Paper Crafts Your Kids Have to Try

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15 Paper Crafts Your Kids Have to Try Whoever thought paper could be so much fun? What’s so amazing about paper crafts is that you can go outside of the box, and make whatever your heart desires! My kids love making paper crafts, and right now, they’re into making paper flowers and paper animal crafts. I’m always eager for them to gain new interests like these because they get to express their creativity through something that they love to do. They went nuts over the Floating Butterflies when I showed them the craft idea. Right now, we have butterflies floating in almost every doorway in our home. My little girl loves running through them as she pretends to catch them.

Your kids will love all of these paper crafts because they’re super easy and loads of fun. I’ve even made a few of these crafts myself. The awesome thing about these crafts is that some of them involve other materials, such as paint and coloring tools. You can capture your kids’ attention for hours with these wonderful crafts.

Gorgeous DIY Paper Flowers

Crepe Paper FlowersOur home has a gorgeous array of different DIY flowers, which I absolutely love, because there is just something about a homemade flower that adds a little character. My kids love making paper flowers, and everyone who steps through our front door most definitely notices. I’m always proud to say that my little ones made me those gorgeous little works of art. So naturally, I’m always looking for fun new flower crafts that they can get a hold of with their little hands. Their new favorite flower craft is the Tissue Paper Water Lilies. They’re so life-like and beautiful that everyone comments on them, which makes my kids burst with happiness.

Silly Animal Paper Crafts

Colorful Scales Rainbow FishEvery kid loves crafting when animal crafts are involved. Your kids will have a blast making animals like the Paper Plate Penguin and the Handprint Owls because there are different materials that they get to play around with. They’ll love having the opportunity to get their hands covered in paint to make their little owls.

More Paper Crafts

Unexpected Paper DollsThere’s nothing like enjoying a beautiful summer’s night outside with the romantic lighting from the Lovely Little LED Lanterns. These DIY lanterns are gorgeous little additions to my outdoor patio. My kids love that something they created is used for everyone to enjoy.

 

33 Kids' Paper Craft Projects

 

Discover more fun crafts in this collection of 33 Kids’ Paper Craft Projects. Your kids will excited at all of these new crafts you show them!

 

 

What kind of paper crafts do your little ones like to do?

15 Fun 4th of July Crafts Your Kids Will Love

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15 Fun 4th of July Crafts Your Kids Will Love One of the best things about the 4th of July is the time that you get to spend with your family celebrating Independence Day with 4th of July crafts, food, and fireworks. Every year my kids and I prepare for the 4th by putting together a list of fun patriotic activities that they want to do the most. Of course, my kids usually go straight for the 4th of July DIY accessories that they can wear to our annual red, white, and blue bash. This year my daughter insists upon making the  Patriotic Firecracker Tie Dye T-Shirt to wear to the party. Lately, she has been all about the tie dye shirt activities. It’s such an adorable shirt that it made the kids’ crafts list immediately.

I love kids’ crafts like these because they are all so simple and inexpensive. My kids can do most of these crafts by themselves, which I find they enjoy even more because they like to make crafts and then surprise me when they’re finished.

 

DIY Accessories for the 4th of July

Firework Tops for the FourthMake your 4th of July party a blast with these adorable accessories that your kids can make and wear to show their patriotism. Your kids can glam up their outfit with the Rockets’ Red Glare Bracelet, or they can add a burst of red, white, and blue to their attire with Firework Tops for the Fourth.

4th of July Dessert Recipes

American Flag PretzelsYou can add a blast of fun and color to your party desserts with these yummy 4th of July dessert recipes. These recipes are great to make with your kids because they’re so simple. My kids absolutely love it when we make the Fourth of July Fruit Flag Cake. They enjoy arranging the fruit on the cake to make it look like the American flag.

More 4th of July Crafts for Kids

Confetti Popper RocketsOne of the biggest parts of a 4th of July party is being outside, so why not let your kids create beautiful lighting with Fourth of July Luminaries? These gorgeous lanterns will give your outdoor party the spark that it needs, and your guests will enjoy the personal touch that your kids made to the party with their Fourth of July crafts.

 

 

 

You can never have enough red, white, and blue fun with your kids. If you’re always looking for more 4th of July crafts for your kids like I am, then download your free copy of 21 American Craft Projects: Patriotic Crafts for Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and 4th of July Crafts for Kids free eBook. There are tons of adorable Fourth of July crafts that your kids will love!

 

 

 

How are you celebrating the 4th with your little ones?

10 Thrifty Recycled Crafts for Summer Fun

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10 Thrifty Recycled Crafts for Summer FunEvery kid looks forward to summertime because they get to spend some time doing fun creative activities. Kids get to let loose and run around outside in the sun instead of being in a classroom all day. The challenge, though, is keeping your kids occupied with fun summer activities. My kids are all energy and no down time, so I’m constantly searching for new activities to keep them entertained. Now, I love using recycled crafts to entertain my children because I don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money on projects to keep them occupied. I’ve found that the coolest recycled craft that my kids love are the Adorable Minion Lawn Darts because they can’t get enough of the Minions. This fun craft keeps them outside for hours at a time. I have a hard time getting them to come inside when it’s time for lunch.

Of course, you need to plan for the summer days when the weather might not be as nice as you’d like it to be, so it’s always a great idea to add some indoor activities to your list. Any time I come across cardboard boxes, I immediately grab them because my kids love turning them into a fort or Creative Cardboard Box Cars. They always have a blast making things out of the cardboard boxes. Sometimes they prefer playing with cardboard boxes over anything else. That’s why it’s always a good idea to find new cardboard boxes to bring home.

Most of the materials for these crafts were already in my house, so I didn’t have to scramble around town looking for things that my children can use for their crafts. These no-fuss crafts really made it easier for me to keep my children happy.

 

Outdoor Activities

Summertime is all about playing with your kids outside in the sun, so you need to have some fun summer activities that will get the whole family outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. The Water Bottle Rocket is the perfect kids craft to get your little ones outside; after all, what kid doesn’t like to shoot things off into into the air?

 

 

Indoor Activities

Indoor activities are always a great idea to have for when it’s nasty and rainy outside. Your kids can throw a burst of color into a cloudy day when they make Color Burst Melted Crayon Art. This a great activity idea to do, especially when your kids have a bunch of old, broken crayons that they never use.

 

The Ultimate Guide to Summer Fun

 

If you’re looking for some more summer fun ideas to have with your children, check out the Ultimate Guide to Summer Fun, hosted by our friends at True Aim Education!

 

 

What summertime activities do your little ones love to do?

20 Vacation Bible School Crafts for Every Theme

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20 Vacation Bible School Crafts for Every ThemeMake Vacation Bible School even more fun for the kids this year with these really cool project ideas! There are plenty of projects for each theme, so you won’t have to worry about running out of VBS crafts for your kids. With these crafts you can teach your kids so much about the importance of God in their lives and the love that he has for the world as a whole. They’ll have the time of their lives doing these activities, and they’ll get to keep them as a reminder of the wonderful experiences that they had at Vacation Bible School.

 

 

 

Spy Theme

If your theme is the VBS Spy Theme, then we’ve got you covered. Your kids can decode secret messages from God with the Super Secretive Spy Decoder and learn important messages that God tries to convey to us through the everyday miracles of life.

Jungle Safari Theme

Let your kids go on a safari and learn about the beautiful animals that God has created, by having them make some Paper Fold-Up Safari Animals.

Space Theme

Your kids can jump into the deepest parts of space at VBS and admire the vast universe that God has made for them by making their own CD Space Craft. They’ll love learning about the vast universe, and they can even imitate the stars in the heavens with the Glowing Homemade Play Dough Recipe.

Weird Animals

They’ll have a blast crafting the weird animals of the world when they make Funny Fish Paper Crafts or the Slinky Bead Snake Craft. When they make all of these different kinds of animals, they’ll see how each and every one of God’s creations is unique and wonderful.

More VBS Crafts You’ll Love

You can teach them about Exodus and when Moses followed God’s command and freed the slaves of Egypt, by letting them make the Moses and the Red Sea Paper Crafts. All of these projects take no more than an hour to make, which is great for being able to do other activities that you’ve planned for the day. When you have story time, everyone can grab their Campfire S’mores Kabobs and listen to the miracles of the Lord.

 

 

38 Sunday School Crafts and Bible School Crafts for KidsAll of these crafts are wonderful for keeping kids occupied and happy, and most of these projects are inexpensive to do with large crowds. If you’re looking for more Vacation Bible School crafts to keep the little ones busy, AllFreeKidsCrafts has you covered! Discover even more crafts in 38 Sunday School Crafts and Bible School Crafts for Kids.

What’s your Vacation Bible School theme?