Spring is here, and all of the colorful flowers, vibrant sunshine, and fresh air that come with it. Mother Nature’s works of art might inspire you and your child to create your own masterpieces! Crafts are the perfect way to bring out your cutie’s creative side, while providing them with some all-important hands-on activities.
Holding scissors, placing buttons, and rolling up tissue paper all help develop a child’s fine motor skills, which can help them do better in school. Plus, doing crafts together is a wonderful opportunity to bond with your munchkin.
If you have an Au Pair, spring crafts are a fun and enriching way for them to spend time with your kids. Below, we’ve listed some of our favorite spring crafts for kids to enjoy with parents or Au Pairs this lovely time of year.
Nature-Inspired Spring Arts & Crafts
Celebrate adorable bugs, beautiful blooms, and all things springtime with easy spring crafts that reflect the season! These nature-inspired projects are the ideal way to channel inspiration found on outdoor walks. Your cutie can collect some materials, like flowers and sticks, during outdoor play (just make sure you or your Au Pair inspects them for spiders and dirt before bringing them inside!).
Tissue Paper Flower Bouquet
Instead of real bouquets that don’t last long, your young florist can create these artificial alternatives. They’ll easily last until summer, and you can place them in the middle of the kitchen table so the whole family can admire them at meal time.
Materials Needed:
- Tissue paper (various colors)
- Green pipe cleaners
- Scissors
Steps:
- Stack 4–6 sheets of tissue paper
- Accordion fold the stack back and forth
- Wrap a pipe cleaner around the center and twist to secure
- Use scissors to gently round out the paper ends so they resemble petals
- Fan the folded paper out, around the wire
- Gently lift and gather the top layer of paper up, bunching it around the “stem”
- Repeat the previous step with each layer of paper
- Repeat multiple times to create a full bouquet
Feel free to bunch the layers up tighter to create roses, or keep them loose to create carnations.
Butterfly Clothespins
Does your child love butterflies? This craft lets them make their own insect buddies, and might encourage them to help out on laundry day.
Materials Needed:
- Wooden clothespins
- Coffee filters
- Washable markers
- Spray bottle with water
- Pipe cleaners
- Glue
Steps:
- Spread a coffee filter out flat and color it with markers. Kids can recreate the butterfly wings they’ve seen in nature, or get silly and make up their own!
- Lightly spray the coffee filters with water to let the colors blend, creating a tie-dye effect. Then let them dry.
- Once your filter is dry, scrunch it at the center, and clip it with a clothespin.
- Make a V-shape with your pipe cleaner, and attach it to the top of the pin to create an antenna. You can slide it into the top, letting the clip hold it in place, or secure it on the outside with glue.
Once your clips are ready, the kids can help you hang clothes up to dry, transforming your clothes line into a faux butterfly habitat.
Handprint Flower Garden
Your child won’t be this small forever, so mark the moment with a handprint flower garden. Kids use their handprints as “petals” to make a gorgeous and sentimental flower garden collage.
Materials Needed:
- Construction paper
- Washable paint (various colors)
- Paintbrushes
- Scissors
- Glue
Steps:
- Add a generous amount of paint to a plastic plate
- Have kids dip their hands, palms down, into the paint
- Let kids place their paint-covered hands on the blank paper
- Repeat with different colors to make a garden
- Create stems and leaves using either green markers or green paper
- Add sunshine or bugs for decoration
Let dry and hang. (If you have several children, they can combine their handprints in one collage for a sweet sibling project!)
Rock Painting: Ladybugs & Bees
Do you need spring crafts for kids who are always collecting rocks on their walks? This is the perfect project for transforming those rocks into something special!
Materials Needed:
- Smooth rocks
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrushes
- Googly eyes
- Glue
- Black marker
Steps:
- Wash and dry the rocks
- Paint them with preferred colors
- Add black spots (ladybug) or stripes (bee)
- Glue on googly eyes.
Let the rocks dry and use them as decoration around the house. Alternatively, you can create a rock garden outside as your kids add to the collection.
Bird Feeder from Recycled Materials
Welcome beautiful winged creatures into your garden with these cute bird feeders. This craft lets you repurpose household items, making it as eco-friendly as enjoyable.
Materials Needed:
- An empty toilet paper roll
- Peanut butter or honey
- Birdseed
- String
- Hole punch
Steps:
- Spread peanut butter on the outside of the roll
- Roll it in birdseed until covered
- Thread the string through the hole and hang it on a tree
Watch for birds to arrive! You might even want to buy your kiddo a bird-watching book, so they can identify the feathered creatures who land on the feeder.
Children’s Spring Crafts for Holidays (Easter & Earth Day)
Whether your family recognizes Easter, Passover, Earth Day, or another holiday centered around rebirth, there are plenty of playful crafts to honor the occasion. Have an Au Pair watching your young ones while the adults enjoy the party? These crafts are an ideal way for them to entertain little ones.
Easter Egg Sun Catchers
Enjoy a vivid light display on a patio or porch with these lovely sun catchers. They use soft materials in place of traditional glass for a kid-friendly craft.
Materials Needed:
- Contact paper
- Tissue paper
- Scissors
- Hole puncher
- String
Steps:
- Trace two egg outlines on your contact paper
- Cut both eggs out
- Remove the non-sticky layer from one egg to expose the sticky layer
- Stick tissue paper bits onto the sticky contact paper
- Remove the non-sticky layer from your second egg
- Place the second sticky layer over your tissue-covered egg
- Repeat to make multiple eggs
- Punch a hole in the top of each egg
- Run the string through the hole
Hang your eggs up in an area of the home that gets a lot of light to watch colors reflect on nearby surfaces.
Earth Day Coffee Filter Planet Art
Celebrate Earth Day with this easy and cheerful project. This is a delightful project for kids who have an interest in our planet, the solar system, or space in general.
Materials Needed:
- Bleached coffee filters
- Washable markers
- Water spray bottle
- Paper towel
- Glue stick
- Black construction paper
- Glitter or sparkles
Steps:
- Flatten the coffee filter
- Color with blue and green markers to represent water and land
- Place your filter on top of a couple of folded paper towel sheets (to prevent a mess)
- Lightly mist with water to give realistic fading and hues to different parts
- Let colors blend and dry
- Spread glue on your construction paper in the size and shape of the filter
- Attach your filter to the center of the paper
- Use your glitter or sparkles to create twinkle stars on the black paper
Children can display their coffee filter Earths around the house to honor Earth Day.
Bunny Ears Headband
Are you looking for spring crafts for preschoolers who love playing make-believe? They can wear these adorable headbands to dress up as bunnies for Easter!
Materials Needed:
- White and pink construction paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Tape or stapler
Steps:
- Cut out two white ear shapes and two smaller pink insides.
- Glue the pink pieces in the center of the white pieces
- Cut out strips (approximately 1-inch thick) of white paper
- Glue the ears to the center of one of your paper strips
- Measure your child’s head
- Staple together, end-to-end, as many strips as needed to fit around the child’s head
- Tape the headband closed in the back
Now your cutie is ready to hop around in their ears!
Recycled Collage Art
If you’re looking for spring crafts for kindergarten students as a way for them to express themselves, collages are a classic choice. This free-form art project lets kids pick out images that reflect their interests and personality.
Materials Needed:
- Old magazines
- Scissors
- Glue
- Paper backing
Steps:
- Choose a spring theme (flowers, rainbows, bugs)
- Cut out colorful shapes and images from magazines
- Arrange and glue them onto the backing paper
If you recently welcomed an Au Pair into your home, collages are a nice, low-pressure way for them to learn what you’re children are interested in. The Au Pair can also make a collage to help your kids get to know them!
Seed Bombs or Mini Planters
Grow your own mini flower garden while encouraging your kids’ love of nature with this project. They’ll enjoy watching their blooms sprout up from the ground throughout the season!
Materials Needed:
- Recycled paper or clay
- Wildflower seeds
- Potting soil
- Blender
Steps:
- Combine shredded paper or clay with seeds and water in a blender
- The ideal ratio is 4 parts clay/paper to 1 part soil per cup of seed
- Use just enough water to make the mixture malleable
- Mold the mixture into small balls
- Let dry
Once your seed bombs are dry, you can toss them in hard-to-reach areas of your garden where you’d like to see more wildflower growth.
Rainy Day Spring Craft Ideas (Indoor-Friendly)
We wouldn’t see vibrant new growth in the spring without the rain. Still, you need a way to entertain kids when it’s too wet to play outside. We’ve got you covered with some engaging rainy day activities. These are terrific ways for Au Pairs to spend time with your children when outdoor activities are rained out.
Rainbow Paper Chains
Bring some cheer to the gloom of a rainy day by making your own rainbows! You only need a few materials to add uplifting colors around a room.
Materials Needed:
- Construction paper (rainbow colors)
- Scissors
- Glue stick or tape
Steps:
- Cut strips of colored paper
- Make a loop and glue the ends
- Put a new strip through the last loop and glue its ends closed
- Continue the chain, alternating colors to represent the full rainbow spectrum
You can arrange your rainbow chains around a room, hanging from corners of pre-existing items or attaching them to small nails in the walls.
Umbrella Paper Plate Art
Young ones will love making their own rain accessories! Decorating a paper plate umbrella with their favorite images and colors, like a collage, is a great way for kids to express themselves. They might even feel inspired to go outside under a real umbrella!
Materials Needed:
- Paper plate
- Markers/paint
- String
- Blue paper (for raindrops)
- Glue
- Scissors
Steps:
- Cut a paper plate in half
- Cut scallops on the straight edge to make it more realistic
- Decorate with markers or paint
- Cut out raindrops from blue paper
- Tape or glue the string to the back of the umbrella
- Glue the raindrops to the strings
For a slightly easier approach, you can skip the string and raindrops and instead just glue your umbrella to a large blue piece of construction paper. Then you can draw on raindrops, clouds, and other rainy day imagery.
Spring Animal Masks
Did the rain dampen your trip to the zoo? Let your kids be the animals with these playful masks!
Materials Needed:
- Cardstock or paper plates
- Crayons/markers
- Glue
- Popsicle sticks or elastic
- Cotton balls or feathers (optional)
Steps:
- Cut out a mask shape and eye holes
- Decorate with crayons or cotton/feathers
- Attach a stick to the bottom center for kids to hold up
- Alternatively, you can glue a piece of elastic to either side to make the mask wearable
Let the blossoming theater kids in your house put on a play, acting as various members of the animal kingdom.
Egg Carton Flowers
Reuse empty egg cartons to make multi-dimensional daisies!
Materials Needed:
- Egg cartons
- Acrylic paint
- Popsicle sticks or straws
- Glue
Steps:
- Cut up your cartons into thirds (4 egg cups per section)
- Paint the middle circle yellow, like the center of a daisy
- Fill in the cups with bright colors of your choosing to make the petals
- Glue a straw or popsicle stick to the base of the cart sections to create the stem
When you or your Au Pair take little ones out for an errand, have them hold up their flowers so you can always spot them in a crowd.
Pom-Pom Caterpillars
Children will love making these cute and cuddly bug buddies. They can be enjoyed as toys or decorations.
Materials Needed:
- Pom-poms
- Googly eyes
- Popsicle sticks
- Pipe cleaners
- Glue
Steps:
- Glue pom-poms in a line on a popsicle stick to make the caterpillar body
- Glue on googly eyes
- Shape the pipe cleaner into antennae
- Glue the antennae onto the caterpillar’s head
Let the items dry, and it’s time to play! You can add these to your painted rock garden to complete the scene.
Strengthening Cultural Experiences Through Spring Crafts
Spring crafts will bring joy to your home, creating a chance for kids to bond with parents and Au Pairs, while embracing the spirit of the season! Our projects can help cuties connect with nature outside, or keep them entertained indoors on rainy days.
If you’re interested in welcoming an Au Pair into your home for affordable and culturally enriching childcare, view our available Au Pairs today and discover how to become a Host Family!
