KIDS CRAFTS 101 – A FUN EASTER TIME

 Spring is definitely my favorite season of the year; weather starts to change and get warmer, the flowers bloom, the trees get greener and full of leaves, the sun comes out and smiles, the sky is bluer than usual, and the clouds get bigger, whiter and fluffier.  Oh, I just love spring. And with the season, there’s just so many art and crafts activities that inspire in so many ways.

So when I got asked to judge the wonderful Kids Crafts 101 hashtag last week, I was so jumping on one foot.  First, because I’ve been an absolute lover and follower of this feed for a really long time, and secondly because I got lucky enough to judge during the month of April, where so many springy and Easter activities flood Instagram.  So it was a win.  A true pleasure for me. 

The Instagram account Kids Crafts 101 is quite awesome. It has over 29,000 images under #kidscrafts101 and it’s just so full of ideas and inspiration for everyone out there that wishes to get creative with children (and adults of course!) making art.  KidsCrafts101 was started by 2 amazing creative women, Maggy from Red Ted Art and Ali from Incredibusy and together they have hosted and invited guest judges to explore the hashtag and feature them on the Instagram account.

Being a judge this last week was a really fun experience, and a hard job as well since there were so many amazing entries.  I must say it was no easy task to narrow it down to 9.  As I scrolled daily on the photos, I felt so inspired to get crafty with eggs, flowers, rabbits and chicks, among others.  These are some of my favorite, check them out and be inspired!

1)      Bunny Basket from @handywithscissors – I am big at recycling so this one really caught my eye.  The use of a simple clear plastic bottle that got turned into this whimsical and sweet bunny basket to carry Easter chocolate eggs was just fantastic. 

2)      Cardboard Collage Bunny from @artcampla – I am always seduced by a pretty and simple art activity.  This was a beautiful one of this kind.  With a precut cardboard bunny, the children got creative with assorted papers, magazines, paint and tissue pieces.  The end piece was so beautiful.

3)      Felt Easter Eggs from @findingmyselfyoung – there’s days when you want to get creative but not in a messy kind of way.  This activity is perfect for those days; it’s simple yet fun and inviting.  All you need are some cut felt eggs and little pieces of felt (you can even add other materials) to decorate these.  Fun and easy. Win win.

4)      Action Art from @figmentcreative – I love a good action art activity and this was such a sweet one I would have never though of.  Sweet Easter wind up toys and paint on paper; isn’t it just brilliant?  I bet children loved doing this.  I will give it a shot soon for sure!

5)      Paint Dripping Eggs from @thebluebarn – Such a fun process art activity with children.  I was just mesmerized as I watched the video posted of these in the making.  Paint dripping on top of the eggs in bright and colorful shades is my kind of fun, and watching the colors mix and drip was so relaxing. 

6)      Grass Crown from @creatingcreatives – A great crafting activity with a beautiful end product.  Materials for this one are simple things you can easily have at home like colored paper, stickers and glue. I love that little ones get to really practice their cutting skills here.

7)      Eggshell Art from @curiositysprouts – I would have never though of using eggshells in such a fun and unexpected way.  Getting to draw inside an egg hell with sharpies sounds like a magical experience I most definitely want to try with my boys.  Maybe then I can get them to eat eggs (buah!).

8)      Egg Decorating Studio from @starry_atelier – Presenting children with a variety of materials is always a favorite for me. So when I saw this invitation I was naturally drawn to it.  A box filled with wooden and cardboard eggs, color pencils, markers and stickers guarantee a long hour of fun exploration and Easter crafting.

9)      Process Art with Rolling Eggs from @bookbairn – I love a good process art activity with children; it’s always so fun, with no stress attached to getting a specific end product.  This was a simple and fun one using a big box with paint and wooden eggs inside; and then the best part was getting to shake and bash the eggs around leaving the marks on a white paper placed under them. 

Aren’t all of these ideas just fabulous and inspiring? Remember to check them out!