40 Fun Kids' Crafts for Cold Winter Days

If your little ones are suffering a severe case of being stir crazy, you’re in luck. We've rounded up 40 indoor, winter kids’ crafts that are totally fun and relatively easy.

By: Rachael Jones and Allie Holcomb King

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Bust Winter Blues With Busy Crafts

Chilly winter months and colder outdoor temps call for lots of creative ideas to keep kids entertained. But don’t fret. We’ve rounded up 40 kid-friendly crafts, projects and recipes that you can DIY with the kiddos to spark creativity and bust indoor boredom.

From snow-inspired slime to handmade Valentine’s Day crafts and easy eggshell geodes for the science-loving crew, these fun winter projects promise low stress and less mess for all.

Egg Shell Geodes

This fun crystal-growing experiment is a great project for a rainy, cold weekend. Use eggshells and alum powder to create sparkling geodes the kids will love to show off.

Get The How-To: How to Grow Glittering Crystal Geodes in Eggshells

Customize a Snow Measurement Stick

Make it fun for kids to monitor snow accumulation whether you’re expecting 1 to 11 inches. Paint an old ruler or paint stirrer, and mark along the length in inches. They’ll keep you posted on weather conditions like little meteorologists.

Get The How-To: 15 Snow Day Crafts and Activities for Kids

From: Emily Fazio

Perfect Paper Snowflakes

Coffee filters are perfect for making snowflakes. They're round and the filter paper is thin enough for little hands to use scissors with accuracy. Craft a collection of perfect white snowflakes by folding in half three times and cutting in your desired pattern.

Watch the Video: Coffee Filter Paper Snowflakes

From: Emily Fazio

DIY Snow Slime

Who says you can't have snow year-round? Not us! In fact, we've got the perfect how-to for a fun, surprisingly low-mess snow slime.

Get The How-To: DIY Snow Slime

Indoor Concert with DIY Instruments

With an empty tissue box, a paper towel tube and several rubber bands, you can easily create your own toddler-friendly guitar. Use rubber bands of different thicknesses to produce different sounds, and allow your child to strum-strum-strum.

Get The How-To: DIY Musical Instruments for Kids and At-Home Concert Ideas

DIY Felt Fairy Garden

Bring the magic of a fairy garden inside with this felt fairy wall. Kids can help cut out fairies, gnomes, rainbows, clouds and more, then use the shapes to create enchanting scenes and stories.

Get The How-To: Fairy Garden Felt Board

Doorway Puppet Theater

Bring out your child's inner performer with an in-house puppet theater that is all theirs! Nothing will make them feel more special than getting to perform their latest work for an eager crowd. And when the show comes to a close, simply remove the tension rod, roll up the curtain and safely store for the next matinee performance.

Get The How-To: Break a Leg! DIY Doorway Puppet Theater

Washi Tape Racetrack

Ready, set, go! Make your child's dreams come true by transforming your floors into their very own racetrack. Outline the track using washi tape and let them use their imagination to speed around the track.

Get The How-To: Washi Tape Racetrack DIY

Tissue Paper Transfer Art

Using a special type of “bleeding” tissue paper, kids can create watercolor-like works of art with less mess than paint.

Get The How-To: Kid-Friendly Craft Project: Tissue Paper Transfer Art

From: Emily Fazio

Craft a Cardboard Dollhouse

Craft a quick cardboard dollhouse and let the kids do the decorating. Cut two sheets of leftover cardboard into a house shape and create slits into each piece. Use a utility knife to cut out windows and doors, then attach colorful trim and accessories. Older kids may want to add wallpaper or paint to the walls.

Try This: DIY Doll Clothing Rack

From: Emily Fazio

Rolling Pin Printing

If your rolling pin doesn't get much use for baking, upcycle it into a fun printing tool for the kids. Attach pre-cut foam stickers (or make your own shapes using sticky-back craft foam), then roll fun patterns onto paper or fabric with paint.

Color Your Own Puzzle

Art and craft stores sell blank puzzles in a variety of sizes. Your kids can use markers and their imagination to create works of art. Take a picture of the finished artwork as a reference before disassembling.

From: Emily Fazio

Activity Dice

The next time your kids say “I’m bored,” have these DIY activity dice at the ready. Make a set of two: one with actions like jump, stomp and spin, and another with numbers for how many times your kiddos should do the action.

Watch the Video: Activity Dice

Glove Monsters

We've all got a stash of single gloves just longing to one day find their mates. Let's be honest, that will probably never happen. Instead, let the kiddos transform them into super silly glove monsters using felt, buttons and other basic craft supplies.

Get The How-To: Give Your Lonely Gloves a New Lease on Life

Recycled Crayons

Put old, broken crayons to good use by creating brand-new ones in a mini muffin pan.

Get the How-To: Kids' Craft: How to Make Recycled Crayons

Easy Play Dough

For hours of play, make a batch of play dough with ingredients you already have in your pantry.

Get The How-To: Make Homemade Play Dough

Make Stained Glass Works of Art

While it might seem like a delicate project for small hands, you’d be surprised how easy it is for older children to grasp the concept of stained glass with a little supervision. Use the glass from a picture frame as the base. Tape off space around the edges to shield small hands from sharp areas. Attach small, smooth pieces of beach glass or colorful tiles to the surface using a multipurpose adhesive. Once dry, mix store-bought grout for stained glass and let them work the grout between the pieces of glass with a damp sponge.

From: Emily Fazio

Winter Woodland Mushroom Cloche

Use clay to create adorable mushrooms to welcome in winter. Turn them into gift toppers, ornaments or add to your indoor decor with this unique winter woodland mushroom cloche.

Get The How-To: Make a Winter Woodland Mushroom Cloche Decoration

From: The Crafty Lumberjacks

Frozen Sun Catcher

Take advantage of chilly temperatures and make this frozen sun catcher to hang outside.

Watch the Video: Make a DIY Frozen Sun Catcher

Perler Fuse Bead Coasters

Little hands can keep busy for hours (and work on their fine motor skills) helping whip up a batch of melty bead coasters. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for making and melting. Add a piece of felt to the bottom so you can put a mug of hot cocoa on top.

Get The How-To: 12 Crafts You Can Do With Perler Beads

Cupid's Arrow Hot Chocolate

Surprise your Valentine with a cup of hot chocolate dressed up with a paper straw "arrow" and a heart-shaped marshmallow. Kids and adults alike will love this new twist on a classic winter treat.

Get The How-To: Valentine's Day Project: Cupid's Arrow Hot Chocolate

Handmade Fan Valentine

Get a jump on Valentine's Day and help your little one craft a handmade valentine for an ultra-special person.

Get the How-To: Kids' Craft: Biggest Fan Valentine

Try Your Hand at DIY Puffy Paint

Combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup white glue and 1-1/2 cups shaving cream in a bowl. Divide the mixture into separate containers and add food coloring. Scoop each color into its own sealable bag, then trim off one corner for piping. Pipe onto paper and allow to dry.

Try This: Sidewalk Chalk Puff Paint

From: Emily Fazio

Salt Painting

The reaction of watercolor paints and salt is pretty fascinating to watch no matter your age. Help your little one make a design on paper using glue and salt, then watch as the watercolors flow and blend together.

Get The How-To: Kid-Friendly Art Project: Raised Salt Painting

Make Clay Beads

Make fun, colorful jewelry with oven-baked clay. Have your kids roll clay balls for the individual beads and help them push a pin through the center of the soft clay to create a hole for threading. Bake according to package instructions.

Get The How-To: 13 Fun (and Functional) Oven-Baked Clay DIYs

From: Emily Fazio

DIY Tablecloth Playhouse

When it's cold outside, turn an ordinary dining room tablecloth into a cozy playhouse for kids.

Get The How-To: How to Make a No-Sew Tablecloth Playhouse

Make (Really Thick) Kids' Finger Paints

Learn how to make your own rainbow of colors for just pennies with this non-toxic, easy, flour-based finger paint recipe. Then delight in a fun afternoon of painting.

Get The How-To: How to Make (Really Thick) Kids' Finger Paints

From: Emily Fazio

Hanging Birdfeeders

Little ones will love crafting food for their feathered friends.

Watch the Video: DIY Birdfeeder Craft Project

Butterfly Garland

Prepare for warmer days by making this whimsical butterfly garland to hang from your windows.

Get the How-To: Kids' Craft: Butterfly Window Garland

Fish Soap Party Favors

Nothing says good, clean fun like these clever handmade soaps that resemble goldfish carnival prizes. Make a whole school of them to give away as party favors, handmade gifts or just for fun as a chilly day craft project.

Get The How-To: Kids' Craft: Fun Fishbowl Soap

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Pencil Pinwheel

Kids can transform wooden pencils into colorful pinwheels with patterned craft paper.

Get the How-To: Kids' Craft: Easy Pencil Pinwheel

Marshmallow Catapult

Help your little engineers build a basic catapult using craft sticks and rubber bands. Then, watch gravity, energy and Newton's laws of motion at work as they launch small items like marshmallows or pompoms. Try variations on this DIY — such as a shorter launching arm or a larger stack of sticks for the base — to see how those tweaks affect the catapult's performance.

Get The How-To: 20 At-Home Science Experiments for Kids

Lava Lamp in a Bottle

Make your own lava lamp using water, baby oil, food coloring and effervescent tablets (such as Alka-Seltzer). The water and oil will separate at first, as expected. But when you drop in the effervescent tablet, small carbon dioxide bubbles form and carry the colored water to the top. When the gas escapes from the bottle, the water droplets fall to the bottom creating a funky lava-like effect.

St. Patrick's Day Snacks

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with lucky fruit kabobs, tasty rainbows and pots of gold by playing with your favorite fruits! Kids will love helping arrange the healthy snack rainbow.

Get The How-To: St. Patrick's Day Recipe for Kids

Printed Napkins With DIY Stamps

Use basic household items to stamp napkins and tea towels.

Get The How-To: How to Block-Print Napkins With Simple DIY Stamps

Family Terrarium

Make a terrarium with a tiny family inside. Little ones will adore this hands-on craft.

Get the How-To: How to Make a Family Terrarium

From: Michelle Edgemont

Spring Fabric Wreath

All you need for this simple kids’ craft is leftover bits of green fabric and an embroidery hoop. Children will love seeing their creation hung on the door to welcome spring.

Get the How-To: Kids' Craft: Make an Easy Rag Wreath

Upcycled Greenhouse

Teach your kids about starting seeds and keep plastic containers out of the trash with this project. Turn berry cartons, milk jugs and other items into mini greenhouses; the increased humidity will help the seeds germinate.

Watch the Video: 5 Small-Space Greenhouses

Easy Ice Tie-Dye

HGTV Handmade's A.V. Perkins shares four techniques to tie-dye cotton napkins with ice — and it's so easy the kids can help, too! Make your own with three ingredients: powder fabric dye, cotton napkins and ice.

Get The How-To: Ice Tie-Dye Napkins Four Ways

Thumbprint Table Runner

All you need is a plain, white table runner (or napkins, tea towels, etc.), craft paint in coordinating colors and willing thumbs.

Get the How-To: Mother's Day Kids' Craft: Fingerprint Table Runner

40 Fun Kids' Crafts for Cold Winter Days

Related To:

Shop This Look

Bust Winter Blues With Busy Crafts

Egg Shell Geodes

Customize a Snow Measurement Stick

Perfect Paper Snowflakes

DIY Snow Slime

Indoor Concert with DIY Instruments

DIY Felt Fairy Garden

Doorway Puppet Theater

Washi Tape Racetrack

Tissue Paper Transfer Art

Craft a Cardboard Dollhouse

Rolling Pin Printing

Color Your Own Puzzle

Activity Dice

Glove Monsters

Recycled Crayons

Easy Play Dough

Make Stained Glass Works of Art

Winter Woodland Mushroom Cloche

Frozen Sun Catcher

Perler Fuse Bead Coasters

Cupid's Arrow Hot Chocolate

Handmade Fan Valentine

Try Your Hand at DIY Puffy Paint

Salt Painting

Make Clay Beads

DIY Tablecloth Playhouse

Make (Really Thick) Kids' Finger Paints

Hanging Birdfeeders

Butterfly Garland

Fish Soap Party Favors

Pencil Pinwheel

Marshmallow Catapult

Lava Lamp in a Bottle

St. Patrick's Day Snacks

Printed Napkins With DIY Stamps

Family Terrarium

Spring Fabric Wreath

Upcycled Greenhouse

Easy Ice Tie-Dye

Thumbprint Table Runner

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