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My kids love making rainbows and it's even better in their eyes if said rainbow making includes a sensory aspect which usually requires me to clean a bunch of mess after their fun.

This week I got one up on the mess and went with a rainbow in a bag that is MESS FREE!!

I'm smiling, oh i'm smiling.

I had a bit of a problem with my paint collection as I didn't have all the rainbow color paints for this activity! But i'm resourceful and since I have food coloring in the right colors I went ahead and made my own batch of paint.

The recipe is very similar to my Homemade Finger Paint Recipe except it is a small amount. So if you need more than 4 bags of rainbows I suggest you make that recipe.

Rainbow in a Bag!
Gather your ingredients:
Whisk all these ingredients in a pot and then add to a low heat on the stove. Continue slowly whisking until a smooth substance starts to form. It is between the mix being watery and solid.

Scoop a heaped tablespoon of the mix into 7 bowls to make rainbow colors. Use your food coloring in each bowl to get the desired color. I have used these to get my results. More coloring = more vivid results. I have 20+ drops in each.
Other supplies you will need for this activity:
Trim your cardstock to fit into your ziplock. You will be folding the top of the ziplock over so make sure that the cardstock fits the width. Add a heaped teaspoon of paint into the ziplock by holding the plastic away so you don't mess on it. See image below.

Press down on the plastic to help the paint off the teaspoon.

Once you have all your colors lined up close the ziplock and fold over the extra ziplock space.

Tape down the ziplock with either clear tape, painters tape or anything you have that will easily remove yet keep your ziplock in place.

Then it is time to play! Ask your child if they would like to create a rainbow! They will start pushing the paint across the canvass bit by bit to create their rainbows.

Some of the colors will mix but that is ok it still looks stunning and regardless it's a ton of mess free fun!

Even my 15 month old had a go at a rainbow bag. I had a hard time taking a picture of her she was very enthusiastic about it.

BUT! I did manage to get a little video. Watch it below.

Once you have a rainbow all over your page the kids are now able to make drawings and patterns!

Use fingers or even earbuds to create pictures, shapes, letters or numbers in the paint.

Or just have fun making random squiggles.

A great idea since this is a contained item is to leave it on the table for the day. The kids will come back time after time to doodle on it.

I hope your children have as much fun as mine did with this rainbow in a bag!

If you have any left over paints you can try the following:

Pin this activity for later!

MORE awesome rainbow activities for kids!
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Rainbow in a Bag - No Mess Art // Powerful Mothering

Rainbow Letters Race to the Top // Stay at Home Educator

Color and Shape Match Up // Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Stack a Stone Rainbow // Adventures of Adam

Rainbow Pasta Threading // Play and Learn Everyday

Rainbow Tinker Tray // Still Playing School

How to Flip a Rainbow | Simple Science for Kids // Lemon Lime Adventures

Rainbow Sun Craft // Fairy Poppins

Rainbow Pencil Control Exercises // Sugar Aunts

Beginning Sound Rainbows // Playdough to Plato

DIY Rainbow Crayon Names // Pre-K Pages

Rainbow Puzzle Skip Counting // Creative Inclusion

Rainbow Bear Color Matching Game // Life Over Cs

Rainbow Marble Painting Process Art // Preschool Inspirations

DIY Paper Plate Loom: Rainbow Yarn Art // Sugar Spice and Glitter

Rainbow Sight Words // The Kindergarten Connection

Rainbow Math with a DIY Abacus // Fun-a-Day

Rainbow Fact Family Board Game // Liz's Early Learning Spot

Simple Rainbow Sensory Bottle for Kids // Coffee Cups and Crayons

Rainbow Paint Chip Color Match // Modern Preschool

Roll a Rainbow // The STEM Laboratory

(Not Shown) Rainbow Perler Bead Key Ring // Teach Me Mommy

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My kids love making rainbows and it's even better in their eyes if said rainbow making includes a sensory aspect which usually requires me to clean a bunch of mess after their fun. This week I got one up on the mess and went with a rainbow in a bag that is MESS FREE!!

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As you may have noticed over the last year, I am a huge fan of paper bag puppets. I think they are adorable and I love how kids can use them for pretend play and make them come to life after creating them. There are so many fun things you can create with a paper bag and today I'm sharing 20 of my favorite Paper Bag Animal Crafts for Kids. From insects to birds and farm and zoo animals, the ideas are endless! Most of the paper bag puppets I'm sharing today are from right here on I Heart Crafty Things and the other few are from some of our favorite kids craft bloggers.

Click on the links below the pictures to go to the original paper bag craft tutorials and for pinning individual posts. I hope after seeing these you are inspired to create some paper bag animals with the little ones in your life to enjoy hours of imaginative and pretend play!

PIN ME PLEASE

More Paper Bag crafts you might enjoy:

Follow I Heart Crafty Things on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, and Instagram for more crafty fun!

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20 Paper Bag Animal Crafts for Kids | I Heart Crafty Things

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As you may have noticed over the last year, I am a huge fan of paper bag puppets. I think they are adorable and I love how kids can use them for pretend play and make them come to life after creating them. There are so many fun things you can create with a paper ...

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poster to advertise each station

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Kids Crafts - Beaded Stretch Bracelets ~ The girls and I love crafting together, however sometimes they feel like crafting and I'm in the middle of something and I can't join them right away. It's nice to have something that they can work on by themselves from A to Z. Making beaded stretch bracelets is one of those projects that they can work on by themselves. Don't forget my kids are a little older, so working with small objects is ok. If your children are little, you'll obviously need to supervise them as they work on their creations.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Kids Crafts - Beaded Stretch Bracelets

Supplies:
- Stretch Cord
- Beads (The girls used a variety of different colors of beads. Varieties of pink, blue, gray, and brown. I had shared a a preview on Instagram.)
- Scissors

Instructions:
Step 1: Start threading beads onto the roll of stretch cord. Yes, we find it a lot easier to thread beads without cutting the stretch cord right away. This prevents beads from falling off the other end. As you thread you can wrap the beads around the roll. Keep threading beads until you reach the desired length. Step 2: With the cord still attached to the roll, make a couple of knots until the bracelets is nice and secure. Step 3: Use scissors to cut off the extra cord. This will detach the bracelet from the roll.

And voilà, beaded stretch bracelet!

Trust me, your kids will love making these... and if you are lucky enough they will make a bunch for you too! :)

If you're into bracelets, I have a couple more tutorials for you. I'm sure you'll love these as well! P.S. The below tutorials are by my daughter Gabrielle. :)

Beaded Wrap Bracelet

Silk Wrap Bracelets

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it inspired you!
Have a BEAUTIFUL day!

P.S. I'll be linking to these Parties.

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Kids Crafts - Beaded Stretch Bracelets Tutorial

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Kids Crafts - Beaded Stretch Bracelets ~ The girls and I love crafting together, however sometimes they feel like crafting and I'm in the middle of something and I can't join them right away. It's nice to have something that they can work on by themselves from A to Z.

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I was recently visited by an inquisitive momma bird as I sat drinking my coffee. It was an unusually warm and sunny morning and the arrival of my feathered friend cheerfully announced what I had suspected...

Spring is on the way!

I love to watch birds build their nests and prepare for the arrival of new hatchlings. We have a tree outside our kitchen window that is home to a family of wrens. We love to see them
return each spring and enjoy tracking the babies all summer long.

The tiny baby birds are so adorable that my daughter often wishes she could hold one in her hand.

We remedied this desire by creating Simple Pom Pom Blue Birds. These sweet little birds live in a mossy nest atop our bookcase and are always ready for cuddles and love. They are perfect for an Easter basket or play time.

I'm happy to share the DIY tutorial with you below...

Simple Pom Pom Blue Birds

This simple pom pom craft can be made in minutes using basic craft supplies. Add a nest made from twigs and dried Spanish moss for an adorable woodland friend.

Materials:

Blue yarn and cream yarn

Embroidery floss or thread

Hand sewing needle

4 mm black beads for eyes

Orange craft felt

Fabric glue or school glue

Scissors

Lightweight cardboard (use an empty cracker or cereal box)

Table fork

Directions:

Pom poms are easy to make with a cardboard template or a fork. It may take you a try or two to get the hang of these techniques, but you will soon be a pom pom pro!
Step 1: Make the bird's body.

Cut an 8 x 3 inch rectangle out of lightweight cardboard to use a a template. Fold the rectangle in half length wise and cut a slit 2/3 of the way up the center.

2. Cut a 8 inch piece of blue yarn or embroidery floss. Thread it through the center slit of the cardboard template. This will be the center tie to hold the pom poms together. (Tip: If your yarn is weak or prone to breakage use embroidery floss for your center tie.)

3. Wrap blue yarn around the cardboard template 50-60 times as shown. The more yarn the fluffier the pom pom.

4. Wrap cream yarn around the cardboard template 40-50 times as shown.

5. Knot the center tie around the yarn twice, pulling as tightly as possible. (Tip: Have a partner hold the string down with their finger as though you were
tying ribbon on a present.)

6. Slide the pom pom off the template.

7. Cut through the loops on both ends. (Do not cut through the center tie.) Trim the ends of the center tie the same length as the pom pom.

8. Roll the pom pom in your hands to shape it into a ball and trim into a perfect sphere.

9. Trim the sides and bottom of the pom pom so they are flat as shown.

10. Trim the pom pom front and top into a rounded teardrop shape for the bird's body.
Step 2: Make the bird's head.

Cut a 6-8 inch piece of yarn and thread through the middle tines of a fork. This will be the center tie to hold the pom pom together. (Tip: If your yarn is weak or prone to breakage use embroidery floss for your center tie.)

2. Wrap blue yarn around the tines of the fork 40-50 times. The more yarn the fluffier the pom pom.

3. Tie the center tie around the yarn twice, pulling as tightly as possible. (Tip: Have a partner hold the string down with their finger as though you were
tying ribbon on a present. )

4. Slide the yarn off the fork and cut through the loops on both ends. (Do not cut through the center tie. ) Trim the ends of the center tie the same length as the
pom pom.

5. Roll the pom pom in your hands to shape it into a ball and trim into a perfect sphere.
Step 3: Assemble the bird.

Use thread or embroidery floss to stitch the pom poms together. Try to get the needle through the center tie of each pom pom. (Tip: You can also glue the pom poms together, but thread is more secure.)

2. Trim the pom poms if necessary to make into the exact bird shape.

3. Use a needle to slightly fray the bird's tail feathers.

4. Cut a two tiny triangles from craft felt for the beak.

5. Use glue to attach the eyes and beak. Make a small divot in the yarn to hide the glue.

6. Enjoy your pom pom blue birds!

More Pom Pom Fun

Baby birds are a sure sign of spring! Check out these adorable pom pom friends for your baby chick.
Want more creative pom pom tutorials?
Click the image below to visit Bren Did and learn to make this sweet little duckling.

Click the image below to visit Fireflies & Mudpies and get the adorable baby chick pattern.

This sweet Easter tutorial was brought to you by my friend Bren from the blog Bren Did. It's such a lovely site with so many wonderful crafting, cooking and easy-home-cleaning tutorials. Please pay her a visit ... you'll be hooked on her like I am.

You can connect with Bren on facebook, instagram and pinterest.

Blessings and magic,

Donni

Donni Webber is the mom behind the popular natural living Waldorf website and blog, The Magic Onions - where the magic of nature and the wonder of childhood collide to make each moment a precious gift. She is a photographer, writer, crafter, wife and mother of two inspiring young children. Her work has been featured in many popular publications, including HGTV, Better Homes and Gardens, Disney and Apartment Therapy.

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DIY Pom Pom Blue Bird Craft :: Easter and Spring Crafting - The Magic Onions

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I was recently visited by an inquisitive momma bird as I sat drinking my coffee. It was an unusually warm and sunny morning and the arrival of my feathered friend cheerfully announced what I had suspected... Spring is on the way!

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Easter Eggs - Egg Dye Recipe - Genius Kitchen

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Dont buy the tablets, use whats in your pantry! Glitter and tie-dyed eggs too! Use in recipe #153466 to make Cascarones. Cook time is drying time. Safe and natural for those of you who eat them easter morning!

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I've been on the hunt for inspiring activities that foster creative thinking, and just came across a sweet project called Super Sized Marble Painting from Jenny at Let the Children Play.

Jenny is a preschool teacher, so many of her activities are geared toward large groups of kids and I was pressed to figure out a way to pull this off with just me and my 2-year old. Another issue was that I didn't have any marbles in the house, and I couldn't swallow forking out $11 for the marbles I found at the toystore this morning. In a fit of resourcefulness that I attribute to my girl scout past, I remembered the big bowl of smooth river rocks I have tucked away for forcing hyacinth bulbs to grow. Score! Something to consider: because painted rocks/marbles are bound to fly around, this is an excellent activity to try outdoors.

Why This Art Project works

Children get to experiment with non-art materials (in this case, marbles or rocks instead of paintbrushes), a reminder that all things are not necessarily what they seem, and that objects can be repurposed with new possibilities.

Older children will problem-solve as they try to figure out how to achieve color and line combinations within this almost unpredictable, moving framework.

Children will be active! This is not quite J Action Painting, but without some physical activity the artwork would just never happen.

Time

20+ minutes, 5 minutes for set-up and 5-10 minutes for clean-up

Rolling Rock Art Activity Supplies

A stack of paper

Thick paint such as Crayola washable tempera paint (affiliate)

Small, rolling objects such as marbles or smooth rocks

owl/bowls for the paint. I lined my bowl with tin foil so that I could simply throw the paint away when we were done - easy clean-up! I was happy to use one bowl for all the colors, but you may want yours in separate containers.

A tray of some sort. I found ours at a thrift store for $3 similar to this one on Amazon (affiliate). You can find these new at stores like Target. A clear plastic tub or cardboard box would also do the trick.

Paint Brush (optional). Great to have on hand in case your child wants to ditch the rocks for ol' fashioned brush painting.

The Set-up

Tape a sheet of paper inside the tray.

Squeezed four paint color into a bowl

Dip a rock into the paint and then place it on the paper. Repeat this step for as many rocks as you'd like. We used about 8.

Rock the tray back and forth to create marks all over the paper.

We taped the complete paintings to a fence

Clean-up: I dropped the rocks in a sand pail full of water, swished it around, and poured the water on in the garden, and we washed our hands in the hose before heading inside. Pretty easy. The apron helped, too!

For more Toddler Art Activities, you will probably enjoy 12 Art Projects for Toddlers

If you enjoyed this post, you can get more ideas for raising young inventors and filling your life with creativity by signing up for the weekly TinkerLab newsletter. It's free and we often send exclusive content and opportunities that are only available to our subscribers.

In case you blinked and missed it, TinkerLab rounds up all the great stuff on the internets on keeping you and your critters creative and wraps it up for you in a tidy newsletter! (And throws in some secret giveaways for good measure!) - Yuliya P., San Francisco, CA

Join our community and you'll learn:

How to simplify your life and make more room for creativity

How to make hands-on making a part of your everyday life

Easy, actionable ways to raise creative kids

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irresistible ideas for play based learning

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Kids Art Projects | Rolling Rock Painting | TinkerLab

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I've been on the hunt for inspiring activities that foster creative thinking, and just came across a sweet project called Super Sized Marble Painting from Jenny at Let the Children Play. Jenny is a preschool teacher, so many of her activities are geared toward large groups of kids and I was pressed to figure out a way to pull this off with just me and my 2-year old.

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Want a super easy Easter craft? These bunny ear chenille headbands come together in less than two minutes!
To make this darling chenille bunny ear headband, you'll need:

Metal headband (Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has $1 headbands covered in gray ribbon... perfect!),

Darice Chenille Stems,

Scissors, and

Super cute little girl to wear them!

Super easy steps:

1. Wrap - Just start at one end and wrap one stem. The metal interior holds them in place perfectly.

2. Ears - band two stems in the middle and attach to the top of headband. I chose to bend one ear. {wink}

3. Wrap - finish wrapping with Chenille and cut off excess at the end.

As always, I hope you're inspired to craft, bake, create and celebrate!
you may also like:

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Easy DIY Bunny Ear Chenille Headband * The Celebration Shoppe

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Want a super easy Easter craft? These bunny ear chenille headbands come together in less than two minutes! To make this darling chenille bunny ear headband, you'll need: Metal headband (Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has $1 headbands covered in gray ribbon... perfect!), Darice Chenille Stems, Scissors, and Super cute little girl to wear them!

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Best 25+ Kites craft ideas on Pinterest | Kites for kids, Letter k kite and Kids kites

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Find and save ideas about Kites craft on Pinterest. | See more ideas about Kites for kids, Letter k kite and Kids kites.

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I love kinetic sand. There's just something so peaceful about squishing it, shaping it, and playing with it. But what I didn't realize was that I was spending way too much on the kinetic sand at the store... making it at home in my favorite unicorn colors is easy and affordable! Kinetic sand is such a great therapeutic tool, too. My son has autism, and allowing him to play with kinetic sand while listening to me read has been a huge help to him when it comes to focusing. It's also a great sensory tool! Here's how to make your very own kinetic sand at home!

DIY Unicorn Kinetic Sand Supplies

To make this unicorn kinetic sand, you'll need a few things which you can pick up at your local store or find on Amazon.

Very fine, white sand (or substitute colorful sand if you don't plan to tint it yourself). This 5-pound bag on Amazon will give you enough sand for 5 colors of sand.

Corn Starch (this helps the sand get the right consistency)

Dish Soap (this improves the texture, acts as an anti-bacterial agent and helps the sand smell great)

Water

Food coloring in bright, fun colors (any food coloring will work for this, but we have found the best colors from food coloring lines that offer neon colors!)

Fine glitter (buying multiple colors will allow you to match the color to the specific color of kinetic sand you're making, but if you want to cut costs, gold and/or silver are good basics that pair with any color of sand!)

Essential oils, optional, for fragrance and anti-microbial properties, depending on the oil you use.

How to Make Unicorn Kinetic Sand

Making the unicorn kinetic sand is oh-so-easy. You'll need a large bowl for your dry mixture and a smaller bowl or jar for your wet mixture.

For the dry mixture, you'll want to mix 1 cup of sand, 1 Tablespoon of corn starch, and 1 Tablespoon of glitter. Try to match the glitter closely to whatever color of kinetic sand you're hoping to achieve (we've shown purple).

For the wet mixture, you'll need to mix roughly 1 Tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon of dish soap, and some food coloring (we found around 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon was enough for a good color payoff). Mix this gently- you don't want too many bubbles to form during the mixing process!

Pour the wet mixture into to the dry mixture, then knead until you have a beachy wet sand consistency. You want it to feel about the consistency of sand you'd build a sand castle with. If it isn't quite there, add water 1 teaspoon at a time.

Once it's mixed thoroughly, repeat the process with as many colors as you'd like to make! Keep them separate, or store them together for a rainbow look.

Storing in an airtight tub is a good way to keep it fresh longer, but if it starts to smell musty, it's time to toss it. Essential oils with anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties can keep it fresher, longer, so consider using your favorite anti-bacterial essential oil to keep the unicorn kinetic sand fresh and playable.

The more you mix the colors, the more the mixture will turn gray or brown, depending on how many colors of sand you've incorporated. However, the rainbow color lasts long enough to keep things fun and exciting. If you want to keep the colors brighter longer, simply store each color separately and play with it separately. However, the unicorn play sand is just as fun to play with even when it's been mixed together- it won't change the texture at all for the colors to mix!

DIY Unicorn Kinetic Sand Recipe

This unicorn kinetic sand can be shaped, pressed together, and even used to make sand castles! It feels wet and dry at the same time and is moldable just like the sand you'd find at the beach. I cannot get enough of it, and neither can my son. There's just something so peaceful and soothing about sculpting kinetic sand. Plus, you can slice it like bread! It's just an amazing texture to play with.

Have you played with kinetic sand? What's your favorite sensory toy?

Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to share this post with a friend who you think would love it! Want to save it for later? Be sure to pin it!

More Sensory DIY Ideas

Sensory Calming Board
Dino Dig Sensory Bin
Snowy Scene Sensory Bin
Sensory Play Board on Pinterest
Homemade Faux Snow from Juggling Act Mama

More Colorful DIYs

Homemade Color Bubbles (Crayola Copycat)
Chalk-Rubbed Sand Art
Create a Color Theme Unit for your Child

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This recipe for DIY Unicorn Kinetic Sand may contain affiliate links. I love kinetic sand. There's just something so peaceful about squishing it, shaping it, and playing with it. But what I didn't realize was that I was spending way too much on the kinetic sand at the store...

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Feeling a little stressed out lately? OK, feeling a lot stressed out lately? Not to worry: We've got you covered. Meet your new best friend, Mr. Squishy Stress Ball.

We've put together a super simple, step-by-step guide with everything you need to DIY your own squishy stress ball. Whether it's an after school project with the kids or just for you, this craft is a winner.

Keep scrolling for a list of supplies and our easy-peasy demonstration video. And if crafts make you cranky? We rounded up some stress balls you can shop instead.

Trust us, either way you go, you're gonna love squeezing the heck out of your new best friend.

DIY It
Watch: How to Make A Squishy Stress Ball
1. Three balloons - or you can purchase this 72-count bag of balloons and make squishy stress balls for all your friends.

This Nopro plastic funnel set comes with three different sized funnels.

4. Scissors like this Scotch multi-purpose scissor.

Directions:

1. Stretch out your balloon. (Pro tip: Simply blow it up for some extra stretch.)

2. Choose your filling: rice or flour.

3. Stick a funnel into the neck of the balloon.

4. Slowly fill the balloon. Pour slowly to avoid clogging the neck of the balloon! If it does clog, use a pen or pencil to clear the opening.

5. Remove the funnel from the balloon and let out as much air as you can. (Pro tip: To release the air, pinch near the neck and separate your finger and thumb slightly. Too wide an opening can blow flour everywhere.)

6. Tie the neck of the balloon closed tightly.

7. Snip off the excess rubber.

8. Grab your second balloon, and snip off the end.

9. Grab your last balloon, and snip the end, leaving enough to tie.

10. Tie the end, and voila! You've made yourself a squishy stress ball.

Buy It

If the idea of creating one stresses you out, there's another option: You can always buy a squishy stress ball...

Pull and Stretch balls (2-pack), $5.30
We're partial to these pull and stretch balls from Rhode Island Novelty. Just look how they stretch!

The Friendly Swede Stress Relief Squishy Balls (Set of 3), $12.99
These bright fidget balls will help you focus and relieve stress while also strengthening your hands and wrists.

Stretchy String Fidget/Sensory Toys (5 pack), $9.99
These are a different twist (and stretch!) on the standard SSB, but these stretchy string fidget toys can stretch from 10 inches up to 8 feet.

Stress Ball Hand Therapy Gel Squeeze Ball, $14.89
Squeeze your hand stress away and improve your grip with this premium stress ball. It's a great fidget solution for kids and adults alike.
All prices and savings listed in this post are as of publication and could change. Patch may earn a commission on some purchased items.

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Buy Or DIY: How To Make A Squishy Stress Ball

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Buy Or DIY: How To Make A Squishy Stress Ball - DealTown, US - Get a super simple tutorial on how to DIY your own stress ball, plus check out a few on the market if you don't have time to make one.