Green Craft Ideas for Kids

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Trying to keep your kids busy but you want to make sure they learn important lessons about going green?  If so, there is a variety of natural and green craft ideas out there to keep your kids busy.  You don’t have to go out and purchase all kinds of craft items to make these crafts easy.  These crafts are easy to make from things you probably have at home and they all make use of recycling in some kind of way.

Simple Watering Can Craft

Do you have any plastic half-gallon jugs around your home?  If so, you can probably make this craft.  You’ll need the plastic jug, a little finishing nail, a hammer, and some stickers.  Take the jug and wash it out well.  Have your kids pick out stickers they want to use on the jug.  Use a small finishing nail and a hammer to put small holes in the jug’s lid.  An adult should do this part.  Then allow your kids to decorate the rest of the jug.  Now all you have to do is fill up the jug with water and you have a handy watering can for your flowers and other plants around your home.

Herb Pots from Tin Cans

If you happen to have some tin cans around the house and you want to find a way to reuse them, they are actually excellent to use for this craft for kids.  Teaching your kids to grow things is a great idea and making small herb pots with tin cans also teaches them important lessons about recycling.  You’ll need to have some aluminum cans, a hammer and screwdriver, acrylic paints, Gesso, popsicle sticks, pinking shears, thin cardboard, sharpie markers, a few small rocks, potting soil, 4-in herb plants, craft glue, and some water.  Clean the cans and you may want to sand the edges so no one is cut.  An adult should use a small screwdriver and a hammer to tap holes in the bottom of the can.  Then apply a coat of Gesso to the cans and allow them to dry.

You’ll then use the acrylic paints on the can in the color you want.  You can decorate the can with paints as well.  After the paint has dried, then spray the cans on the outside with acrylic sealer spray and allow them to dry.  Put the small rocks in the bottom of your can, but only have one layer of the rocks.  Then place enough potting soil in the can to make it about 2/3 full.  Put the potted herb into your can and then fill in around it with more potting soil.  You’ll want to put your can on a plate and then water it.  Paint a popsicle stick and let dry.  Then use the sharpie to put the name of the plan on the stick.  Once it is dry, place the stick into the soil so you can easily identify your plant.

Cereal Boxes
Creative Commons License photo credit: tmray02

Simple Magazine Holder

More than likely you have empty cereal boxes around your home.  Instead of throwing them away, you can use them for this green craft for kids.  You’ll need empty boxes, scissors, some spray paint, small paint brushes, and some sand paper.  Cut the box top off, then when you get about halfway across; go down at 45-degree angle so you get the shape of a magazine holder.  Take the sandpaper and use it on the box so that the paint will stick.  Then spray paint the box in a color you like and let it dry thoroughly.  Decorate the box with paints or stickers that you like.  Once it’s dry, you’ll have a great magazine holder that looks great and is totally green.

Reusing old items you have at home can make green craft activities easier. Recycling boxes, newspaper and scraps is essential in our home and teaching the children to only use what they need from consumable products is another good tip. How do you green your craft activities?

Photo Credit: Fotolio

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