Paper Bag Puppets
When the weather doesn’t permit play time outside, keep kids occupied by helping them to create a puppet show. Puppets representing people, animals, or special characters can be created then used to perform your kids’ favorite story or one you make up yourselves as you go along.
Supplies and Instructions for Puppets
When making the puppets, you can use old socks, long enough to cover each child’s hand and part of the arm, or lunch-sized brown paper sacks. Other supplies will be used to decorate the empty hand “puppet” and may include:
- Glue or tape
- Scissors
- Colored paper
- Crayons or markers
- Beads, buttons, or plastic gems
- Yarn
- Any small items desired to create puppets
If you are going to perform your kids’ favorite story, be sure to make puppets of each of the necessary characters. When coming up with your narrative, make whatever people or animals sound the most fun.
Glue on bits of paper or other materials to make facial features, hair, and articles of clothing for each puppet. While the puppets are drying, make a stage to put on your puppet show.
Supplies and Instructions for Stage
You can use a large box to set on a table for the stage. Completely cut the flaps off of the open side of the box for the bottom. View the puppet show from a large window that you cut out from the two sides.
Use leftover puppet supplies to decorate the stage. You can tack a piece of material or even a pillowcase to the front for a curtain that can be lifted up and over the box for the show.
Use leftover puppet making supplies to decorate the box.
Macaroni Art
A cold or rainy day can keep your kids indoors, especially in the coming colder months. Help your kids blow off some steam even in an indoor environment with fun and creative games and activities.
Having an old favorite standby for rainy days can be cozy and comforting, and just as fun as a new activity. Spice up an old favorite like macaroni arts & craft time with a little creative staging and colorful add-ons.
The next time the rain comes tumbling down, try building some of these cute macaroni art sculptures with your kids and help their imagination soar.
Making Pasta Crafts
Dried semolina pasta comes in a variety of wacky shapes from corkscrews to curly cues, and a simple bottle of craft glue plus imagination can transform these uncooked noodle-y snacks into a wide range of cute and simple projects.
Purchase some dried pasta in a variety of shapes and color it easily with water-based paints or dyes. Coloring the pasta can be just as fun as the next stage: creating masterpieces.
Make pasta jewelry, from the elegant yet straightforward yarn and pasta necklace (so chic this year) to more elaborate fashion projects like designer pasta headwear. Let your child’s imagination run wild by transforming everyday hair accessories like plastic headbands and hair clips into princess tiaras. A runway model would be proud to wear such glamorous hair pieces.
The addition of rhinestones, glitter, beads, and other fun add-ons can make even farfalle fancy, while the on-hand availability of materials makes this a great go-to craft for those lousy weather days.
If jewelry isn’t your thing, use the fun, funky shapes of pasta, colored with a little tempera paint, to create trains, planes, automobiles, virtually anything your child’s fertile mind can come up with.
The possibilities are limited only by enriched semolina durum flour and your craft glue supply.