I was certain it would only be a twenty-four hour bug. It lasted seventy-two. Yes, three days of planned, organized schooling went down the drain. Or did it? Even though I had to end our studies for the week early due to my being under the weather, I was highly impressed at how my kids stepped up. They helped me when I needed it and, most importantly, they found activities to help keep themselves occupied while I rested. The biggest hit this week, was paper. We have plenty of it so they went to town, which inspired this list. Though simple, each activity listed is entertaining and fun for upper elementary kids to do without your supervision.
Paper Dolls
I was surprised when my son made this craft but he enjoyed the satisfaction of cutting only one figure and then having several fold out in the end. There is just something rewarding about this craft. Of course, he made a boy figure and decorated each one and then gave it to his three year old brother who treasured it.
Paper Basket Weaving
Another initiative of my son. He inspired his younger brother to make a basket and his sister to weave a creation of her own. They all enjoyed making patterns out of different colored construction paper and the baskets they made were actually quite sturdy and useful.
Simple Origami
I like to have small, square, colored paper on hand for this craft. My one son has several origami books so when the inspiration hits, he has all the tools needed to make fun creations for each family member.
Pencil Drawings
YouTube is filled with drawing tutorials for different types of animals, sea creatures and intergalactic beings. And that is just for the boys. My daughter usually can find tutorials for princesses or the cartoon characters that she fancies. My kids love that if an idea of something they want to draw pops into their head, they can usually figure out how to draw it using the Internet. Whether it is a killer whale or a castle, my children have learned valuable skills from said video tutorials.
Beads
When wrapping Christmas and birthday presents this year, don’t throw any of the scrap pieces away! Save them in a shoebox or gallon zip top bag to use for paper bead crafting! These beads find well on hemp cord and all you need to create the beads are scissors and a straw to wrap them around and get the right shape. A simple craft that can be tons of fun if you have a variety of wrapping or scrapbooking paper to choose from!
Paper Mache
Be sure to save those sunday newspapers, collect from friends and family or pick a few up from the Dollar Tree. Then, grab a bag of flour and a bowl of water and let your imagination go wild. Balloons are the easiest way to form paper mache creations but not necessary. If you have a girl that is into fashion, here is a cute paper mache 3D fashion design kit.
Paper Collage
If you keep a few packs of colored construction paper on hand, your little ones can cut, trace and create their own collage, Younger ones who are just learning to cut enjoy the freedom of this craft. They can cut shapes freehand or practice cutting on the lines of traced objects. They then can use a glue stick to form a collage that they can proudly hang on the fridge!
Paper Quilting
Using the same materials as the paper collage, older students can cut geometric shapes and create patterns using quilting designs found in quilting books or quilting websites. You might want to let them break into your scrapbooking paper or wrapping paper for this one.
Caterpillar
Have you ever made a countdown Christmas chain with alternating red and green construction paper links? Using the same concept, create a rainbow of links and attach eyes and antenna to the end link creating a cute pal!
