Four easy, cheap activities to do with your child this summer
This summer, Lend & Learn is offering free monthly at-home kits with play-based learning activities to local families with children ages 0-5. Our June kit features activities about insects, spiders, frogs & toads, and outdoor play. We also include early literacy activities and a fun bug book to encourage summer reading! We have already distributed over 100 kits to families this month! Here we share a few of our favorite crafts!
Click to download and print the full JUNE-BUG kit!
Painted Cotton Ball Caterpillar! 🐛
Make this cute caterpillar craft at home with a few simple supplies & easy steps!
What You Need:
- Large paper
- Glue
- Cotton balls
- Paint & brush
What You Do:
- Glue cotton balls to the paper and let dry thoroughly.
- Wet your paints with water to make a very diluted paint mixture.
- Paint your cotton balls using plenty of water.
- Let your picture dry thoroughly.
Lacing Spider Web! 🕷🕸
Lacing sets are a fantastic way to build your child’s fine motor skills. Here’s a fun DIY lacing activity to make your own spider web with a paper plate & yarn!
What You Need:
- Paper plate
- Yarn (about 3 feet)
- Scissors
- Hole punch (optional)
What You Do:
- Cut a large hole out of the center of a paper plate.
- Punch holes on the outer rim of the plate.
- Cut a 3-foot piece of yarn and tie it to the plate.
- Have your child practice lacing the yarn through the holes to make a web!
Another way to make a web is to cut slits along the outer rim instead of punch holes. Lace the yarn into the slits to create a web pattern!
Spider Web Toss! 🕷
Create your own sticky spider web game at home!
What You Need:
- Clear contact paper (or tape)
- Lightweight objects such as pom-poms, bits of pipe cleaner, plastic insects, cotton balls
What You Do:
- Use the strips of contact paper to make a spider web on the wall with the sticky side out. Encourage your child to toss the “bugs” into the web.
Nature Frame
Make a nature frame to collect & keep outdoor treasures!
What You Need:
- 4 jumbo craft sticks
- Contact paper
- Glue
What You Do:
- Glue jumbo craft sticks into a square frame.
- Cut the contact paper to the size of the frame (7.5”x7.5’).
- Peel off the sticky back and attach to the frame, sticky side facing front
Go on an adventure, take a walk, or hunt in the backyard for nature treasures to stick to your frame. For older kids, encourage them to get creative & arrange the treasures into a picture.
Your child may like to decorate the popsicle frame with markers, crayons, stickers, or paint!