7 Children's Arts and Crafts Activities

Make a Toy Periscope
Provide your kids with the materials they need to make their own toy periscope and watch them build it and play with it for hours, peeking around corners, over countertops and pretending that they are submerged in a submarine.

What You'll Need:
Two Empty Cornflake Cartons
Two Plain Mirrors
Two Pieces of Cardboard
A Pair of Scissors
Packing Tape

Make a Rubber Band Guitar
Build a guitar with items you have around the house, and then play a few of your favorite songs.

What You'll Need:
An Empty Toothpaste Box
Three Rubber Bands
A Sheet of Colored Paper
Glue
A Box Cutter

Paint a Picasso Masterpiece in Watercolor
Grab your watercolor paint set and paint a Pablo Picasso harlequin musician. This art project is specifically for kids, and easy to recreate. The drawing can even be printed from your computer if your kids want to get right to painting.

What You'll Need:
Watercolor Paint Set
Watercolor Paper
Pencil
Cup of Clean Water

Make a Mobile
Invented by American artist Alexander Calder, mobiles have come to be a popular source of amusement for kids. This project is a great way for them to build their understanding of how things work. If they decide to go with their own theme, it will prove to be a great way to develop their creative side.

What You'll Need:
Cardstock in Several Different Colors
Cord
Broomsticks
Sketch Pens
Scissors
Adhesive

Learn to Draw a Cartoon Penguin
This lesson on cartooning will give your kids all of the basics to learn how to draw their own cartoon penguins.

What You'll Need:
Pencil
Paper
Eraser

Make a Friendship Bracelet
This lesson, which is a hit with both girls and boys, will teach you how to make a colorful woven yarn friendship bracelet.

What You'll Need:
6 Colors of Solid Color Yarn
Chip Board or Heavyweight Cardboard

Make Your Own Trading Cards
Learn about artist, William Wegman, and how he makes dogs look humans in his artwork. Show them a few pictures and then make a set of trading cards in the style of his artwork.

What You'll Need:
Color Images of William Wegman's Artwork
2.5" x 3.5" Index Cards
Dog Heads from Magazines
Colored Pencils
White Glue or Glue Stick