Keep Kids Crafting

• What: Art kits for kids
• When: 5 to 12 years
• Why: Fun, affordable, crafty
• Where: Amazon

If you want a craft kit to keep your child occupied, you can’t go wrong with any of the following choices. Each one offers a different material to keep kids exploring their crafty side, with none of the usual mess associated with art projects.

Fashion Design Art Kit: With this case of fashion plates from Melissa & Doug, kids can create hundreds of different outfits. Combine head, torso, and leg plates to create a look. Each plate reverses to give lots of options, and the kit includes a crayon holder to rub the designs onto paper. Once the outfit gets outlined, color it in to bring it to life in full color. The case comes with four colored pencils to complete the look, but can hold more.

Paint by Sticker: Pick a page, find the corresponding sheet of stickers, and get to work. Each page provides one mosaic type artwork made from different colored stickers. These books offer all the fun of paint by number with none of the mess. You can get these Paint by Sticker books in kids’ versions in unicorn, under the sea, bug, and zoo animals, just to name a few.

String Art: For a tactile experience, try string art. Each kit contains all the materials to make two different designs using colored thread wrapped from pin to pin to create an image. Kids need to be able to tie a knot in their string, but the illustrated instructions take care of all the other steps to produce colorful works of art.

Unicorn Hoodie Blanket: This easy craft kit lets kids make their own unicorn hoodie blanket, with no sewing required. Easy pre-cut flannel pieces allow kids to knot their creation together, for a one size fits all garment that doubles as a blanket.