Pop scraps of poster board, a few short pencils, some markers, a paper punch, scissors, and several elastic bands in a pencil box and you’ll have a traveling kit with the makings for these easy craft projects. Since these don’t create much mess, introduce these crafts to kids ages six and up while they are waiting for a meal to be served in a restaurant or when they are sitting at the table for a family gathering. Bring along enough supplies to entertain all the kids (and even a few adults).
Pencil Top Kids’ Activity
Turn a short pencil, one that may be too annoying to write with into a spinning top. Place a cup upside down on a piece of poster board. Trace a circle onto the poster board. With a ruler or any straight edge, divide the circle into four sections and color each section differently with bright markers.
Cut out the circle. Push the sharpened point of the pencil through the middle of the circle. Give the pencil top a spin with a twist of your hand and wrist. Kids can compete to see whose top spins the longest. In another game, kids can try to keep their top spinning within a small area drawn on a paper placemat or piece of scrap paper.
Older kids may want the challenge of turning this top into a color-changing Benham disk.
Message Spinner Craft for Kids
Place a cup on a piece of poster board and trace the circle. Cut out the circle. Punch two holes directly across from one another on the circle. Now, think of a two word message, “Let’s Play,” “Merry Christmas,” “Snack Time,” “Happy Birthday,” etc. With a broad-tip marker write one word on each side of the circle. The word that you write on the back of the circle should be upside down from the word on the front side.
Put a rubber band in one hole and loop the elastic through itself. Do the same on the other side. To reveal the entire message, insert your index fingers in both loops of elastic band. Now twist the spinner around and around so you wind up the elastic bands. Let go of the spinner and the disk will flip around so fast that your eyes will see the two words as a single message. Try other Optical illusions that trick the eye and thaumotropes and flip books for more fool-the-eye fun.
These crafts are a great way to fill time and entertain kids. Try these activities for kids the next time you foresee the need to wait. As long as kids will have a flat surface to work on, bring along a small box with a few supplies and give kids something fun to do.
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