Too Hot To Play Outside? Here are Some Creative Ideas!

Hot summer days as long as rainy days can be a drag for children and adults alike. Despite the weather outside though, there is fun to be had inside as well. Those days are the perfect time to break out the arts and crafts while forgetting the weather outside. So, what can you do if the weather outside is not on your side? Here are some creative ideas by age group.

Creative Ideas for Small Children

Children age two and up can sit at the table with paper and crayons. While the younger children may not have a long attention span, coloring will help to keep a child entertained when it is not feasible to play outside. Cut out some shapes on paper and let the children decorate the shapes. For more fun, break out some glitter markers and some stickers.

Do you know that there are many things that toddlers can create with pasta? I mean dry pasta! Wheels can be used as tires on cars, ziti noodles and some string can be used to create bracelets and necklaces. Use markers to color the pasta before using the noodles to craft, your child will come up with a colorful creation for sure.

Foam is also a good option for younger children. It is very easy to maneuver and does not rip as easily as paper making it a versatile project for children. Consider making foam masks or even foam characters such as dinosaurs, dogs, etc. Save the building activities for a later age when children are more adept to working with glue.

Creative Ideas for School Aged Children

Children who are attending school are likely more adept at handling items such as scissors and glue. Popsicle sticks are a great item to have on hand for those days. Popsicle sticks can be used to build houses, picture frames and many other things. The possibilities are unlimited and your child’s creativity is the limit!

Paints are also a good idea. Lay out some paint, brushes, paper and some water and paper towels for cleanup and let your kids paint the day away.

Puppets make fascinating world! Creating their own puppets is easy, and it’s lots of fun. All you really need are some craft or popsicle sticks, construction paper, safety scissors, markers and glue. Help your child cut animal or human shapes out of construction paper. He can draw faces and other details with washable markers. Glue the stick to the back of the shape, let dry, and he’s ready to put on a puppet show. If you want to make more elaborate puppets, try cutting shapes out of foam. Glue on a pom pom for the nose, and add some googly eyes.

Creative Ideas for Teens and Adults

If your children are not children anymore, they might no longer want to do coloring nor painting. Craft ideas for teens can be similar to adults: painting on canvas, scrapbooking, jewelry and origami, as well as building crafts out of wood and other items. Cross stitching and fabric arts are good deterrents from the weather outside as they are time consuming.

If you want to get started with cross-stitch, it can be very easy. There are two different methods to get started, buy a premade kit or buy the supplies separately. Craft stores usually carry all of the supplies you need to get started, so be sure to visit one and pick the best method for you.

One last idea: sewing! Either by hand or machine, that activity can take up a lot of time and therefore drive away the don’t-want-to-go-outside day blues!

Remember that crafting does not have to be and is not aged oriented. There are so many different creative ideas you can come up to when the weather outside is not on your side, with different levels of difficulty available for pre-school age children all the way through adulthood.

The key? Keeping craft supplies on hand will make “bad-weather” day easier on everyone!

Do you feel like you are just not the creative type and you struggle to find something fun and enrichment?
Read: 5 Easy Ways to Come up With Great Crafts Ideas

Don’t know where to start with scrapbooking?
Read: 5 Tips on How to Make Your Own Scrapbook From Scratch