Looking for some creative art & craft Easter activities? If you’re not a crafty mum, we have lots of hacks for time-poor mums, plus three easy Easter craft projects that the kids can create at home.
The creative possibilities of Easter are endless, but if creating a creative masterpiece fills you with dread, then you are not alone.
“So many parents tell me that they often avoid arts and crafts because it means more work and more mess,” says Shannon Wong-Nizic craft expert and owner of Oh Creative Day. “The good news is you don’t need a phD in glitter technology to spend time crafting with the kids this Easter and have some fun along the way.”
EASTER EVENT GUIDE: BEST EVENTS IN SYDNEY
Easy Easter Craft: Five hacks for time poor parents
1. Keep it contained
Have storage for paper, scissors, glue etc. Keeping pens contained in a caddy or container prevents them from rolling away and frustrating young artists. Using a plastic tray is also a helpful way to create – the tray gives your child a defined space to work within and it’s easy to remove from the workspace when things need to be cleaned up.
2. Keep it low-mess
The key to creating low-mess craft activities is choosing to offer low-mess materials. Look for ways to substitute materials that might create mess or stress you out. For example, craft glue can be messy. Perhaps use Sellotape sticky dots instead? Lots of fine-motor practice is involved in peeling the sticky dots off the backing sheet!
3. Keep it simple
There is no point setting up activities if they are going to stress you out and create more work for you. Don’t over-complicate matters – just use simple materials. Frixion stamps are a great option. They each have a little emoji-style motif and come in lots of colours. They’re a simple way to add vibrant details to projects and are a perfect gripping size for little hands.
4. Keep it colourful
I hear many parents lament about how their little artists will often turn artworks into a brown or khaki green masterpiece. One way to avoid this is to discuss colour options with your mini creative first. Sometimes it can help to limit a colour palette to three complementary colours.
5. Keep it fun
Introducing a new material and inviting your child to create with it can lead to all kinds of wonderful possibilities. There is no right or wrong way to create! If they have a novelty factor then even better, for example:
- Paint markers such as Pintor are a perfect way for children to have mess-free fun with paints that don’t involve much prep beforehand or clean up afterwards
- Compasses are great for children to explore mathematical concepts whilst creating in a fun and open-ended wa
Shannon Wong is a teacher, mum of three and avid crafter. An enthusiastic fan of pom poms, PVA and paint, she runs popular blog and online parenting resource dedicated to all things creative.
Easter art & craft fun for kids
1. DIY Easter Hat
These beautiful bonnets are a step up from the old-school paper plate Easter hats from earlier times!
Easter bonnets and DIY hats are part of a long Easter time tradition
What you need:
- A straw hat (or similar)
- Decorative coloured rope
- Various Easter-themed decorations
- Assorted faux floral foliage
- Gorilla Super Glue Gel
- Gorilla Clear Glue Minis
- Optional: Spray paint to prime the hat and change the colour
Activity steps:
- Start by wrapping the decorative rope around the hat and securing it with Gorilla Super Glue Gel.
- Once dry, start adding on decorative pieces. Start by adding larger pieces first, followed by smaller pieces and then fill your gaps with the foliage and floral pieces (the Easter Bunny loves flowers!).
- Attach the decorations using Gorilla Clear Glue Minis.
- Layer your decorative items around the brim of the hat.
- Consider adding in fun items such as battery-operated string lights or even glueing some hanging plastic Easter egg decorations from the edge of the brim.
Tip: You can use any shape/size/coloured hat you like for this project. If you couldn’t find the colour you were after, spraying the hat with a few coats of primer/paint in one spray paint can help solve this problem!
After more Easter hat ideas? We have a list of 10 for inspiration for that next parade.
2. DIY Easter Basket
Art and craft is easy when you have a set of instructions and a shopping list!
Making your own classic Easter egg collection basket is a fave on our list of do-it-yourself Easter activities for kids!
What you need:
- Assorted baskets
- Decorative coloured rope
- Various Easter-themed decorations
- Assorted faux floral and foliage
- Decorative shredded paper
- Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive
- Gorilla Glue Clear Grip
Activity steps:
- Give the inside of your basket a generous coat of adhesive. Allow it to get tacky and then add in your shredded paper. This will help keep it in place.
- Add the chosen decorations to the basket with the Clear Grip glue.
- Add rope to the handle, Easter-themed decorations and foliage around the rim or outside of the basket.
- Build up layers by adding larger decorations followed by smaller ones, finishing with foliage. Faux is a great option but you could use dried florals.
Tip: Picking up some super cheap baskets for just a few dollars each from a second-hand store works great for this project and keeps it inexpensive! Use any size, shape, style of basket you can get your hands on.
3. Easter Glue Gems
Making your own ‘glue gems’ is an easy and fun way to play at Easter
These ‘precious stone’ keepsakes are easily made from glue and glitter
What you need:
- Silicone moulds
- Glitter, sequins, beads, etc.
- Clear Gorilla Glue
Activity steps:
- Fill your silicone mould approximately halfway with glue.
- Sprinkle in colourful beads and glitter (the Easter Bunny LOVES glitter!).
- Lightly stir in the decorative elements with a paddle pop stick, then fill the rest of the mould with glue. (If you want to make a key chain, pop one in now).
- Set the mould aside and allow it to dry for at least 48 hours before removing your gem.
- Trim off any excess glue and there you have it!
EASTER EVENT GUIDE: BEST EVENTS IN SYDNEY
