200 Quick & easy experiments

Crazy chemistry experiments

Electronics & Robotics

Engineering & Building

Motion & Mechanics

Anatomy & Biology

Toy & game design

Math made fun

STEM Activities

750+ Quick & easy craft ideas

Recycled creations

Fun & functional projects

Jewelry & Fashion design

Handmade cards & gifts

Art & Creativity

Fun & Games

Hands-on learning

Sound & Music

Pretend play

Play & Learn

Kitchen science

Fun with food

Sweet & salty snacks

Treats & Dessert

Cooking for kids

Cooking & Baking

Animals & Bugs

Plants & Rocks

Seasons & Weather

Radical rainbows

Outdoor Adventures

Space exploration

Nature & Adventure

Birthday fun

Pi Day

Earth Day

Easter

Holiday & Events

luminary

craft

nature crafts

camping

outdoor activities

These mason jar lamps are an easy way to add a little glow to a campsite, an evening stargazing, or just a night in the backyard.

a87cf7325598c.jpg

I used jelly sized jars, purchased in a flat of 12 from a local grocery store, but you can use any size jars.  The glow sticks are from the dollar store.  I used 3 types of colorful tape:  duct tape, packaging tape and washi tape.  They all look great on the jars. The duct tape requires cutting with scissors. The packaging tape has its own cutting blade.  The washi tape was the easiest to work with as it tears easily and doesn't require scissors. 

ad79df154ad55.jpg

Have your child cut or tear sections of the tape they want to use. My four year old did amazingly well cutting through the very sticky and thick duct tape.

ae25bd5cc2a29.jpg

Place tape all over the outside of the jar to cover completely.

a05b3100cd072.jpg

My 9-year-old easily wrapped the packaging tape with the cutting blade around the jar.

a06fd5e3735e4.jpg

Once the tape is sticking to the jar, press all around the jar to smooth out the air bubbles in the tape.

ace2fd21ea4c8.jpg

Place tape on the bottom of the jar as well. The tape will hold the pieces together if the jar gets dropped and broken.

a9869925e66f4.jpg

Wait until dusk, then activate your glow sticks or turn on your battery operated tea lights and place them inside the jars. I love how these turned out! An easy and fun craft by day, and a dramatic way to light up the night. 

mason jars

colorful tape (duct, packaging, washi, etc.)

scissors

glow sticks or battery operated tea lights

Glow Lights

nature walk

nature

leaves

decorations

summer crafts

summer fun

art project

homemade craft

Gather up some green leaves and use a roller or press to create natural stamp art. Follow these steps to stamp on canvas, or use the same technique to print lovely leafy cards.&nbsp;

ac248de56d8c1.jpg

Gather the materials to make your DIY banner. 

afadef8ad064c.jpg

Start by collecting some of your favorite leaves. Look around your house or campsite to find some different shaped leaves. Remember not to pick them off of trees, only off the ground!

Don't pick the ones that are completely dried out as they will crumble as you try to paint them.

a77dcc1577d14.jpg

Cut out several canvas squares, large enough to fit your leaves. You can also try different shapes, such as triangles or a flag shape like we did.

a732aae55d79f.jpg

You may want to cover your work surface for the next few steps. Squeeze some paint into your paint cups or paper plate. Using the spouncer, cover a leaf with an even layer of paint.

a23a0d18a3fbd.jpg

Press the leaf, paint side down, onto the canvas. 

a0388c216c9c9.jpg

Lay another piece of scrap canvas over the leaf and use the paint roller to roll over the leaf and transfer the paint. The extra layer of canvas helps to keep the leaf flat and in place as you roll over it.

afbab25c8e218.jpg

Carefully lift the canvas and the leaf. You should have a cool leaf imprint on the flag! If the imprint looks faint, you can experiment with adding a thicker layer of paint or pressing down harder with the roller. Getting the perfect imprint will take a couple tries.Repeat steps 4–6 until you finish all the flags for your banner.

a5b33fd0ecf11.jpg

Once your paint is dry, use glue or tape to attach your flags onto a piece of ribbon. Now you can hang your leaf stamping art anywhere you and enjoy your nature-themed decoration! 

paint

canvas (or cloth)

Scissors

ribbon

hot glue/hot glue gun (or fabric glue)

paint roller

paint cup (or paper plate)

spouncer

Leaf Stamping

indoor project

Thanksgiving crafts

Thanksgiving

fall

household craft

easy craft

This year we wanted to make our family's place card holders for Thanksgiving feel festive and fun. Using a folding technique, we were able to create beautiful leaves and created a colorful and unique place card holder for everyone.

a50c1b06d0369.jpg

Leaves: First, fold your paper in half vertically, and cut a "U" shape.

a83acd9ca97a7.jpg

Then accordion fold your paper upwards, and with every fold cut the end with your scissor. 

a898e038f8b77.jpg

Once you are finished folding your paper, open it back up, and cut down the center line. 

a946ae3998981.jpg

Accordion fold the two pieces of paper up, and glue together to make a leaf shape. You can finesse the shape by creating a mini fan. Tie and glue a piece of string at the bottom of the leaf to create a stem. 

a756e5b70cd01.jpg

Stands: Glue one cork to one block. Let it dry. Once dry, paint the cork gold, and the wooden block brown.

a3d30212326b0.jpg

Then glue a paper leaf onto one side of the wooden block. 

ad7624444cb39.jpg

Wire: If you are using wire, ask a grown-up assistant to use wire cutters to cut a 5-inch long strand. Poke the wire or paper clip into the cork. Curl one end into a circle. This will be where you place your notecard.

a43d16be8438a.jpg

Display! Write down the names of the guests at your Thanksgiving table and set up the cardholders.

string

Glue

cork

paint brush

colored paper

Leaf Place Card Holders

plants

plant science

nature science

outdoor experiments

outdoor science projects

science project

Learn how to water your plants with just string and a sandwich bag!

a1fe0186a1bd3.jpg

a10f0ae344d2e.jpg

Fill your Ziploc® brand sandwich bag with one cup of water(avoid filling the bag beyond half its size). Seal the bag. 

a332ad2c21847.jpg

Carefully use the two clothespins to attach the bag to one side of the potted plant. The bag should be upright and rest gently on the ground. 

af21cf8492bef.jpg

Use the scissors to cut a length of string long enough to go from the bag to the pot and into the soil about 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm)&nbsp;deep. If your pot has multiple plants, you’ll need a piece of string for each one.  

a56ba72e8ee23.jpg

Tie the ends of the string(s)to paperclips  (the paperclips will anchor the strings). Carefully open the bag and drop in the paperclip(s) so they sink to the bottom and rest on the ground.

afd0befccc9b1.jpg

Use your finger to make holes about three inches deep by the roots of the plant. Pull the other end of the strings over the side of the pot and bury it in the holes. Uses your fingers to press the soil and make sure the string is taut (cut it shorter if necessary).

a52f4367f6f63.jpg

You’ve made a self-watering planter! Make sure to refill the bag if it gets low on water. 

Capillary action describes how water moves through tiny tubes or spaces, like the fibers in string. Water molecules like to stick to each other and to other things. That’s why your finger gets wet when you dip it in water —the water molecules stick to you! In your self-watering planter, the water molecules stick to the string fibers. Because water molecules also stick to each other, the water that sticks to the fibers also pulls up its friends. The water molecules keep climbing and pulling each other up until they reach the soil, keeping your plant alive! From there, the plant’s roots also use capillary action to bring water up from the soil to the leaves. 

ziploc® brand sandwich bag

water (1 cup)

wooden clothespins (2)

low potted plant in soil (no more than 4-inches tall)

thick string or yarn

paperclips

Self Watering Planter

painting

quick craft

With fall around the corner and brisk air upon us, we decided to create nature-inspired paintbrushes! All you need are some leaves, twigs, twine, and your creativity.

adc5b73db68e4.jpg

Take a walk outside and find different kinds of branches / leaves to make your paint brushes.

adc3940746f7b.jpg

Bundle the leaves to wrap around one end of a branch. 

a2cca761d77e9.jpg

Hold the bundle of leaves and the branch with one hand, and wrap your string to secure the leaves onto the branch. 

ae0b8e940089b.jpg

Securely tie the string with a double knot! We created an assortment of leaves with findings from different trees.

a80af66e7df94.jpg

Once you have made all your leaf paintbrushes, test them out with some paint! What kinds of textures do they create? Which type of brush is your favorite? 

branches

string / twine

cup (for water)

watercolor paper

Leaf Paintbrushes

bugs

art-science projects

summer

Fourth of July

Nothing ruins a great picnic celebration like mosquito bites. This year, I'm going to make some natural DIY mosquito repellent that also serves as decoration so that my family and I can enjoy the weekend festivities without any unwanted visitors. I was surprised how easy the DIY mosquito repellent jars were to make, and that all I needed were a few ingredients from the produce section of the grocery store. Once I had the lemons, limes, and rosemary, it only took me a few minutes to make each container. Plus, I could make them before the party and just screw the lid on tight until it was party time.

a875f97d6c1e1.jpg

Gather the materials you need to make your natural DIY mosquito repellent.

a3e9752ef6ec7.jpg

Slice up the lemons and the limes. Have a grownup assistant help with this step.

a923fd4e0b688.jpg

ad59dade33b75.jpg

Fill the water about 3/4 of the way up with water. 

a2e6c6cce748f.jpg

Place a few slices of lemon and lime on top of the water. 

af9327ff1a10d.jpg

Place a floating tea light candle on top. Your DIY mosquito repellent is ready! Now, when it's time to party, all you have to do is light the candle. Use them at your next picnic, backyard party, or camping trip to keep those pesky mosquitoes away. It's the natural essential oils in the plants that make this DIY mosquito repellent effective. They don't like them, which means they won't be hanging around your party.

jar / glass jar / mason jar

lemons

limes

rosemary

floating tea light candle

water

knife

Natural DIY Mosquito Repellent

space crafts

solar system

In our weekly kid testing lab, we're constantly trying out new project ideas for upcoming crates and magazines. With long summer days in mind, we decided to learn how to make our own sundial to tell time using shadows! Follow along to discover how our planet's rotation in conjunction with the sun's angle allows you to tell time.<h2>Learn how to make a sundial! </h2>

a002051c31b07.jpg

First, start by creating bases for your time markers: roll out little balls of clay, about 1 inch wide. Gently press them onto a tabletop surface to create a flat bottom; this will help prevent unwanted rolling! We made nine, but you can make more - try creating one for each hour of daylight.

Panda Crate

Sprout: Koala Crate

Labs: Kiwi Crate

World: Atlas Crate

Studio: Doodle Crate

Labs: Tinker Crate

Studio: Maker Crate

Labs: Eureka Crate

100 cool nature crafts projects for kids

Screen-free fun!