Arts and Crafts Activities

This unique idea is not only fun but also will result in sprucing up your refrigerator door with one-of-a-kind magnets. The Bockler family reported this project "turned out to be one of our favorites." On the scale of difficulty and time involved to gather materials and actually make the craft, this one gets high marks for being fast and simple while appealing to a wide age range.

Here's a craft even the very youngest children can get involved in and end up bursting with pride to give away. "My husband just started a new job so we gave the paperweights to him for his new office. The kids really felt as though they were making his new job a better place to work." (a Connecticut mom)

These little dinosaurs are easy to make and lots of fun to play with, especially when you plant them a grassy, green environment of their very own. At the Bockler house, Mom Tracy says she "will probably have herds of dinosaurs very soon" based on the level of enthusiasm shown by her son, Christian (7 1/2). The LaClair family reported planting grass on a Saturday and having it sprout by Wednesday. All three children agreed the "the dinosaurs look really cool in the grass."

It seems like every week, a new study touts bad news about the quality and quantity of time devoted to family activities in America. One of the best ways to break out of the couch-potato rut is through family crafts projects. Any family can find a good match to the age and interests of their children -- often without busting the bank. Here are a few online places to start researching your next family project.

I hate store bought play-dough. It's expensive and rarely lasts for more than a few play sittings. Here's a great recipe for play-dough passed down to me by Katie Browning, the first pre-school teacher I had the privilege of working with.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: An empty plastic bottle from purchased mineral water (or any other empty, plastic see-through container with a secure cover.) You can decide if you want a small or a large one. The activity will work with both. Glitter, Tinsel, A few marbles or beads that you don't need, Blue Food Coloring.

Optional: Colored plastic sheet or cellophane that can be cut into shapes (can be purchased in a craft store)

* Five or more brown grocery bags * Scissors * Ribbon, about 2 feet for each scrapbook * Yarn in your hair color * 9-inch uncoated paper plate * Markers * White glue An upstate New York Mom reported, "When I was at the store all I had to do was ask, and I got a big pile of brown paper bags.

Here is a project that I adapted from the book Kids Create! By Laurie Carlson. Your village can make a great centerpiece for your Thanksgiving meal. Doing the whole project at once may be too long. Instead, break it up into four or five different projects, which you will eventually put together. The whole activity is a bit more involved than the ones I normally recommend. I feel, however, that the final product is so much fun and so educational that this one is worth the extra effort. If you don't have time to do all the sections, just try activities #1 and #2 and then talk about the differences between them.

Here's a great idea arts and crafts idea that we received from Wendy Jackson, one of our readers. I always save puzzle pieces that no longer made up a whole puzzle and I was glad to get a great idea on how to use them. I tried this idea with my kids and it was a big hit.

Don't toss out those tired old tennis balls. Save some to make whimsical, "talking" apple puppets! "We had fun with this one. We are into apples these days since our two apple trees are ripe and filled with apples so this was fun," reports Amy who did this project with Addison (7), Kyle (5) and Delaney (18 mo.). "Even my baby had fun with this project." Here is what you need: * Old tennis ball (If no one in your family plays tennis, ask around until you find a family that does. Someone will probably have some "dead" tennis balls they will be happy to give you.