Milk Jug Planters
If you are a family with kids, chances are, you have several milk jugs around your house. Take a milk jug and wash it well. Make sure that there is no soap residue left behind. Take a sharp pair of scissors, or a sharp knife and cut the jug in half. This should create a little bowl. Now here’s where the kids come in. Have them decorate the outside of the jug, with paints, stickers or hole punches (I recommend only punching holed along the top two inches). Let the child fill the decorated “Pot” with potting soil, and plant seeds. This is a great project for children to learn responsibility.
“Lava Lamps”
One of our favorite crafts on a rainy summer day is the lava lamps. Fill a 2 liter bottle 3/4 full of water. Fill the remaining 1/4 with oil. Add in several drops of food coloring, replace cap (I run a strip of duct tap around the lid). Shake well. Kids have hours of fun watching this kid friendly lava lamp make all sorts of fun shapes. As an added piece of fun, add a small plastic toy to the bottle. We’ve used Army men, a small plastic boat, and even a Barbie arm (Don’t ask…Ha-ha!).
Planter People
These are so much fun to make, and add a creative touch to any garden.
The next time you’re at the craft or garden store, swing over to the planter section. You’ll find terracotta planters for really cheap. Pick the size that you’d like, and make sure to have 3 planters for each planter person, you plan on making. Using a quick bond glue, have your child glue two of the pots, bottoms together (This should make an hourglass shape). Once dry, have them glue the third planters top to one of the hourglass tops. Almost like building a snowman. Pull out the craft paints and have them create a cute little planter person. Give the little person clothes, a face, and even hair. Let them get as creative as they’d like. Allow the planters to dry overnight. Find a cozy little place in your garden, for the Planter people to live.
Pinecone Bird Feeders
This one is fun! Take your kids out for a walk. Bring along a paper bag or Ziploc. Collect pinecones. Before bringing them inside, have your children pour out the bags, and pick only the best pinecones. When you come inside, lay out some newspaper, for crafting on. Pour some bird seed onto a paper plate. Now slather some peanut butter all over the pinecone (I buy the cheap $1 Store Peanut Butter for this). Make sure you get it in every little nook and cranny. Once the pinecone has been completely covered, roll it in the birdseed. It should stick to all of the peanut butter. We also stick in some extra sunflower seed, and tiny pretzels. Take a piece of string and loop it around the pinecone. Hang from a nearby tree. Have your children watch for the different varieties of birds that it attracts.
Image Credit: free-extras