The Mama Workshop

15 Simple Paper Crafts to Do With Your Kids

Here are some simple paper crafts for kids that don’t require you to take a trip to the store! And the kiddos will have so much fun! High fives all around.

I’ve been on a journey of simplifying my life.

I’ll be homeschooling preschool and kindergarten starting September. So, my life can easily gets packed full of things to do. And my home, well let’s just say, it gets so messy in such a short amount of time because of all the clutter.

It’s time to simplify everything.

Including crafts.

And that’s perfect!

Why?

Because as a mom of 3 kids, I don’t have time to do elaborate crafts and activities. I don’t have time to visit the store.

How do we simplify crafts?

We use the things we already have lying around the house. And, if we have to use craft supplies, we use just the basics that we can keep in a medium-sized bin.

Easy Peasy. Lemon Squeezy. LOL.

The simpler the better, am I right?!

Today, I want to share with you crafts that you can make with your kiddos using paper and basic supplies.

Just to share with you a few basic supplies I keep handy at all times, here is a small list:

  • construction paper
  • scissors
  • glue
  • glue sticks
  • tape
  • wiggly eyes
  • feathers
  • pom poms
  • empty cereal boxes
  • cardboard tubes
  • pipe cleaners
  • craft sticks
  • paint (various colors)
  • foam brushes
  • colored pencils
  • crayons

I have these supplies handy; because, you can make almost anything with them.

If you can think it up, you can create it.

Now, here are the paper crafts you can make with your kiddos:

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5 Steps to Simplify Your Home Right Now

I’m on a journey to living a simple life.

I’m about to be homeschooling kindergarten in September. So, I’ve been reevaluating the atmosphere in my home.

I want to look at it and it feel like a breath of fresh air. I want to look around my home and feel like it’s an escape from the outside world.

Refreshing, right?

A little paradise that I get to live in everyday.

So, what if we traded in the clutter for free space that makes us feel like we can breathe that fresh air?

No more overwhelm in our space. Just peace.

That’s my mission. And I will be sharing what I do along the way.

So, here are 5 Steps to Simplify Your Home Right Now.

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Happy 4th of July Activities for Kids

Happy 4th of July! Here’s an American Flag Puzzle you can make with your kiddos! Plus, I curated a list of fun patriotic activities to do with your kids!

4th of July is one of my kiddos favorite holidays to celebrate. They love the fireworks, the BBQ and the swimming.

But, this year, they’re old enough to learn some fun facts about independence day. Like: why we celebrate the Fourth of July.

Of course we will be doing Happy 4th of July Activities (that will be later in this post). But, before we dive into that, I want to share a few facts with them:

Why We Celebrate the Fourth of July

Fact #1 July 4th is called Independence Day (or America’s Birthday). So, I totally want to make a birthday cake with them! Like this Fourth of July Strawberry Poke Cake by See Mom Click.

Fact #2 On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed giving the United States independence from Great Britain. I use big words with my kiddos. If they ask what a word means, I tell them. So, for the word independence, I would tell them it means separate, free from outside rule or by itself. I would demonstrate it with two puzzle pieces. They’re together, now they’re not.

Also, we have a world map in our activity corner. So, I’ll be showing my kiddos where Great Britain is on the map. Then, we will look up a picture of the Declaration of Independence.

Fact #3 John Adams (one of the founding fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence) wrote a letter to his wife Abigail. In the letter he wrote that this will be the most memorable day in history. We will celebrate it with “pomp and parade, bonfire and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward and forever more.”

I’m only going to share these three facts, because they’re 4 and 2 years old. So, they won’t understand all the history. But, a little bit here and there will work!

You can read more facts at Kids Play and Create.

So, now for the fun activities to get them excited! Whoo hoo!

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DIY Magnetic Chalkboard with Animal Magnets

We usually avoid going out to eat. The kids get crazy! But, with this DIY Magnetic Chalkboard, they can play, color and doodle while waiting! There is hope!

It’s really hard to go out with 3 kids. For real.

So, HARD.

We sometimes usually try to avoid it. If the restaurant is too noisy, my kids want to outdo the noise. If it’s too quiet, well…they’re noisy too. And they’re so wiggly and want to climb under the table.

Why is that fun? I really want to know.

So, without listing all the crazy things my kids do at restaurants, let me just say. “It’s difficult to occupy the kids while waiting for the food to get to the table.”

One way we try to occupy them is by playing games.

We have played these table games (maybe you have too):

  • how many sugar packets can you stack?
  • sort the sugar packets by color
  • “air hockey” with a sugar packet (we flick the sugar packet back and forth)
  • draw a picture on a napkin (if there isn’t a coloring page they bring out)
  • I Spy
  • find a letter on the menu

We try to get creative. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

So, I thought making a magnet chalkboard with fun magnetic animals would do the trick! It’s a toy and coloring activity rolled into one. It’s fun!

This would totally work while traveling with kids too! Set it on their laps and have them play during the car ride!

Multi-purpose item for the win!

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10 Absolutely Free Summer Activities for Kids

These 10 FREE Summer Activities for Kids take me back to my childhood! You don’t need to go on a vacation to have a memorable summer. These fun things to do during the summer will help save you trips to the store. Yay!

Summer mornings are weird. Sometimes frustrating!

The routine goes out the window. Late nights call for late mornings. Heck! The kids still wake up at the same time no matter what time they went to bed. Lord help us all!

So, what do you do with the kids? They aren’t going to school for 3 months! Aaaaaaaaaggggghhhhh!

I did do a post of 25 Awesome Summer Activities you can pull from. But, what if you forget to plan for those for the week (you forget to draw the summer bucket list cards and go shopping for any supplies you don’t have laying around the house)?

Stuff happens. Life happens. Mom brain happens.

Don’t stress, Mama.

I have made another awesome summer activities list that doesn’t cost anything and doesn’t require a trip to the store. It simply uses what you have already.

Whoo hoo! Am I right?!

Free and simple are the best.

As a kid, we didn’t have much. So, my brother and I had to get creative alot. Especially during the summer time when we were bored out of our heads. But, those games and activities we made up are some of the best memories I have.

So, don’t go thinking, that even though you don’t go on some fancy vacation, your kids are missing out on a fun summer.

No way!

Sure vacations are nice. But, you can make the most memorable summer for your kids with simple things. Just be totally 100% present; and, they will love it!

So, here are the free summer activities for kids:

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