Mom’s Secret List of Cheap & Easy Kid Activities

Here are a bunch of ideas to get started with craft time!
Paper Plate Animals – Cut ears/features, glue to a plate, color or paint. 
Popsicle Stick Puppets – Glue cut-out characters to sticks for pretend play. 
Finger Painting – Spread paint on paper; let kids explore with fingers. 
Coffee Filter Butterflies – Color filters, spray water, pinch with clothespin. 
Tissue Paper Collage – Tear tissue paper and glue to make a mosaic. 
Handprint Art – Paint hands and press on paper to create art. 
Homemade Stamps – Cut shapes into potatoes/sponges, stamp with paint. 
Recycled Box Robot – Use boxes, caps, foil; glue together and decorate. 
Nature Collage – Collect leaves/flowers/sticks and glue onto cardboard. 
Sticker Scenes – Draw a background and fill with stickers.

Rice or Bean Sensory Bin – Fill bin with rice/beans; add scoops/toys. 
Shaving Cream Car Wash – Spray cream on tray; wash toy cars. 
DIY Playdough – Mix flour, salt, water, food coloring. 
Ice Cube Excavation – Freeze toys in ice cubes; dig them out. 
Water Bead Sensory Bin – Soak beads overnight; explore texture. 
Cloud Dough – Mix 8 cups flour + 1 cup vegetable oil; mold. 
Sand Tray with Alphabet Letters – Hide letters in sand; dig them out. 
Bubble Wrap Stomp – Lay bubble wrap; stomp and pop. 
Oobleck – Mix 2 parts cornstarch + 1 part water; explore gooey texture. 
Pom-Pom Sorting – Sort pom-poms into muffin tins using tongs.

Alphabet Scavenger Hunt – Find household items starting with each letter. 
Shape Matching – Match paper cutout shapes to drawn shapes. 
Color Sorting – Sort colored objects into cups/bowls. 
Magnetic Letters – Arrange letters on a baking sheet. 
Number Hopscotch – Make a grid with tape/chalk; hop and count. 
DIY Matching Cards – Match cards with animals, colors, or emotions. 
Counting Pom-Poms – Place correct number in muffin tin cups. 
Chalk Letters Outside – Draw letters; trace with chalk/fingers. 
Play Store with Fake Coins – Pretend to buy and sell items. 
DIY Puzzle from Magazine Pictures – Cut pictures and reassemble.

Chalk Obstacle Course – Draw lines/shapes/numbers to jump and balance. 
Water Balloon Toss – Toss balloons back and forth carefully. 
Nature Treasure Hunt – Collect leaves, rocks, sticks, flowers. 
Bubble Painting – Mix bubbles with paint and blow onto paper. 
Sidewalk Chalk Paint – Mix cornstarch + water + food coloring to paint outside. 
Spray Bottle Art – Spray water or watered-down paint on fence/sidewalk. 
Mud Kitchen Play – Pretend cooking with mud, pots, and spoons. 
Bug Hunt – Find and observe bugs with magnifying glasses. 
Garden Planting – Plant easy seeds and watch them grow. 
Jump Rope Challenges – Practice skipping, counting jumps, or patterns.

Blanket Fort Reading Nook – Build a fort with blankets/pillows; read inside. 
DIY Memory Game – Make matching cards and play memory. 
Paper Bag Puppets – Decorate paper bags to make puppets. 
Story Time Theater – Act out a book using toys or costumes. 
Indoor Scavenger Hunt – Hide toys; give clues to find them. 
Sock Puppets Show – Make puppets from socks; put on a show. 
Sticker Books – Creative, independent play with stickers. 
Cardboard Car Drive-In – Cut a box into a car; pretend to watch movies.
 Homemade Musical Instruments – Use pots, bottles, or tubes to make music. 
Color Sorting Race – Race to sort colored objects into containers.