Encouraging your children to use their imaginations and be as creative as possible is hugely important for their development and is something we are keen to support here at Play Like Mum.
Coming up with new and exciting creative projects for your little ones can become challenging, especially if you are super busy or just running low on great ideas. So we thought we would give you a little guide full of ideas that you can draw inspiration from.
This guide is full of fun paper craft activities that you and your children or grandchildren can try. They range from super easy to some quite impressive creations, so if you’re looking for ideas that involve paper crafts for kids, read on to find a fun project that you can try today!
1 – Origami transforming stars
These fun transforming stars are actually quite simple to put together. But the way that they transform makes them seem a lot more complex than they really are.
They’re also a lot of fun for your little one to play with once they’ve been made. They can transform from a ninja star to a frisbee and back again by pushing the pieces you’ve put together!
One of the best parts of this fun craft idea is that your kids can fully customise it in any way they want. They can use different coloured paper or add their own designs with felt tips or glitter.
2 – Folded paper bracelets
This fun activity is a great way of repurposing any art or paper you may have lying around and turn it into something cool and wearable with your kids.
Often, if you have children who love art and paper crafts, it can become difficult to keep absolutely everything. So this is a nice way to give artwork new life. And if you don’t have any artwork to spare, coloured paper works just as well.
If you really wanted to, you could even make a bigger version and turn it into a crown!
Get the kids to decorate their bracelets using any supplies you might have, like paint, felt tip pens or glitter.
Your children could even make a folded paper bracelet for their favourite interactive doll!
3 – Hanging paper stars
The hanging paper stars in this paper project almost look like they’re shop bought they’re so pretty. If your kids love fun easy paper crafts, this is the perfect activity to get the whole family involved and have fun on a rainy day.
You could even hang this super cute decoration up in your child’s room. But if you don’t have the space to hang them up yourself, they make lovely gifts for grandparents or other family members.
You could make special themed designs around different holidays throughout the year, like Easter, Christmas or even Mother’s day.
Why not try making stars of different sizes, or get the kids to customise their stars with paint, glitter and sequins.
4 – Paper fans
This simple paper craft idea is such a great way of getting little ones involved to develop their fine motor skills. You can keep them plain and simple or decorate the paper with paint or pencils, and there is no limit to how creative you can get with it.
These simple step by step instructions show you the basics, but you can use your imagination to make them even more exciting. Why not add a colourful border to your fan before you fold it up, or even cut out some shapes to stick on?
These paper fans are a great idea for fun paper crafts and are also handy for a hot day when you’re keen to stay cool. Your little one could pop their paper fan in their luxury dolls changing bag when out and about to keep cool.
5 – Paper weaving
If you’re looking for ideas for paper crafts for kids, why not try paper weaving?
Paper weaving is a fun way to use scrap paper and produces some cool and colourful art that kids will love. It is also a good activity for developing your child’s fine motor skills.
Your kids can experiment with different colours and sequences, so this fun paper craft activity is great for their development as it is so much fun!
6 – Paper dinosaur hat
This simple activity can produce hours of fun. Not only is it one of the best craft ideas for kids with paper, but it also becomes a costume once finished, allowing your child to spend many fun hours playing make-believe.
Pretend play is so important for kids’ development and if your kids love paper crafts, then what better way to encourage them than to make a fun dinosaur hat together?
7 – Medieval crown
If dinosaurs aren’t their thing, but you’re still looking for simple paper crafts for kids, how about making this rather impressive looking medieval crown together? This is a great example of how easy paper crafts can be with an impressive outcome.
You could even create a whole kingdom of dragons and royalty if you fancied a more epic game with the whole family.
8 – Paper lanterns
Paper lanterns are very easy to make, and they’re often associated with festivals. You won’t need many supplies, and it is suitable for all ages as long as you supervise the little kids.
These lanterns are typically associated with Japanese and Chinese cultures, so they make for a great opportunity to teach your little ones about different cultures too.
This is a great activity if your kids love fun paper crafts, and you only need a handful of supplies too!
9 – Stained glass kites
These stained glass kites make a really fun window display, and they’re a lovely and creative thing to make with your kids. They’re so easy to make, and there is no end to the creative ways you can make different patterns and shapes out of the ‘stained glass’ tissue paper.
If you’re looking for ideas for easy paper crafts for kids, then look no further than these stained glass kites.
10 – Paper chain people
Making paper chains is a timeless crafting activity that most of us will have enjoyed at some point during childhood. Paper chain people are easy to make, and your kids can colour them in afterwards, creating each individual person.
Kids who love paper crafts will enjoy making their family, or even a friendship group, and then playing with them afterwards. You just need paper, scissors and some pencils or crayons and you’ve got a great way to spend an afternoon!
11 – Snowflake ballerinas
Making paper snowflakes is a rite of passage during childhood, and most of us have probably made plenty of them over the years. They’re so much fun to make and a great way to get creative with different shapes, plus the symmetry makes them really satisfying to unfold.
For kids who love paper crafts, these snowflake ballerinas will take the magic of snowflakes one step further, turning the snowflake itself into a fabulous skirt for your ballerina to wear. They’re easy and beautiful, and you can turn them into a garland once you’ve made a few.
12 – Paper mache piggy bank
No list of paper crafts would be complete without including a little bit of paper mache, and these paper mache piggy banks are lots of fun to make with your children. This is definitely one of the more messy craft ideas on our list, but probably one of the most fun, too.
Plus, these piggy banks are a good way to introduce your child to the concept of saving money, which is a valuable skill to instil in them from a young age. Your little one could even save for their very own dolls pram or pushchair to go with their favourite doll.
Discover fun craft activities with your little one
We hope this has given you a few great ideas for paper crafts for kids. Here at Play Like Mum, we are passionate about encouraging imaginative play and creative play as much as possible, as we know just how important it is for your little ones’ learning and development.
Need more inspiration for things to keep your kids entertained? Check out our guide on how to make baby doll clothes for your interactive baby doll.