For anyone that knows me and has been following me, you all know by now that I homeschool my children. I have a 9-year-old in the Fourth Grade and I have a 3-year-old who I am just introducing to school work and getting him used to the idea of learning (which he loves to do). I am always looking for fun crafts and activities to do to make their learning more fun. While summer may be over, it doesn't mean that we still can't check out some awesome summer camp craft ideas! Afterall, we do crafts of all sorts all year long to be quite honest. Why should arts and crafts be limited to a certain time of the year? I found a few that are perfect for summer, but can also be used all year round as well! So who is going to join me for some fun in arts and crafts?!

 

When we think of knitting, we generally think of older adults or even maybe the elderly - but kids? Yes! Kids can knit too and this would make for a great indoor craft, especially on a rainy day. Not only can you make some really neat items (if you can perfect knitting), but it can also help your child with fine motor skills, concentration as well as paying attention to directions. Plus, they get the added benefit of bragging rights and showing off the neat items they made. I mean, you can knit blankets, clothes, toys, etc - the list could go on. So not only is knitting something that could be fun, but it comes with a lot of benefits and skills that can be learned; which in turn, enhances your child's learning and educational experience. Need some inspiration? A quick internet or Pinterest search and you can find a ton of free knitting patterns and "how to" tutorials!

 

Wait, did I just say gardening?! Yes, I did! Depending on where you live and the weather, you can actually garden all year round. Aside from the obvious educational aspect of gardening of learning about various plants and flowers, you can actually use what you grow in your own crafts! One thing my daughter loves to do is take different leaves and place it between notebook paper and using a pencil lightly shade over each leaf so it's markings are forever saved in her notebook. It's super simple, yet quite addicting and fun. Also, if you grow your own herbs or flowers (such as lavender) you can dry them out and use them in homemade soaps, homemade laundry detergent, etc. - You get the idea. Again, this is something you can do year-round, too! Just look at what you have growing in your garden to see what you can make, allowing your child to help you, of course!

 

Yes, I said it - toilet paper roll crafts! These are an all time kid favorite and they're super easy to make! Unless you buy that new "tubeless" toilet paper, you should be able to get access to these things rather easily (and quickly if you have a lot of people in your house)! For the summer, you can coat these in peanut butter, apply birdseed and add a string and have a natural bird feeder. However, in the cooler months, you may want to turn your toilet paper roll into a toy for your pet (great for cats and rabbits) or make your own "tube people" to play with. If you're still trying to think of ways to decorate for Halloween, you can put the tube to its side, cut out some eye shapes with a blade, insert a glow stick, and place the tubes in your bushes to give the appearance of glowing eyes!

 

 

As someone who loves arts and crafts and enjoys homeschooling her children, I hope these gave you some ideas that you can do all year round with your children. Ideas, of all sorts, are endless and can be found all over from books, magazines, and the internet. I would love to hear what you come up with - just share in a  comment below!