5 Cute rainy day crafts for kids

They say that April showers bring May flowers, but keeping kids busy on rainy spring days is no easy task! Add these cute craft ideas to your list of rainy day activities to keep kids happy when they can't go outside.

What you'll need:

• 2 sheets of white felt
• stuffing
• embroidery thread
• plastic yarn needle
• assorted blue felt
• scissors
• ribbon
• craft glue
• two blue buttons
• black puffy paint

What you'll do:

1. Layer the two sheets of white felt on top of each other. Use the scissors to cut out a cloud shape from the felt.
2. Thread the yarn needle with the embroidery thread. Sew the two sheets of white felt together with a simple whip stitch. Leave a small opening to stuff the cloud.
3. Fill the cloud with stuffing, then finish sewing it shut.
4. Cut one 6-inch piece of ribbon. Fold it in half and glue the two ends to the top of the cloud to create a loop for hanging.
5. Cut three 12-inch pieces of ribbon. Glue them to the bottom of the cloud.
6. While the glue dries, cut out several rain drop shapes from assorted shades of blue felt.
7. Glue the rain drop shapes to the 12-inch pieces of ribbon. Once the glue is completely dry you can hang the mobile.

What you'll need:

• 8-10 latex balloons
• tape
• white paper
• scissors
• glue
• flour
• water
• bowl
• paint brush
• polyester or cotton stuffing

What you'll do:

1. Inflate the balloons and tape them together to form the shape of a cloud.
2. Combine a 50/50 solution of glue and water in a bowl.
3. Cut the paper into 2-inch wide strips.
4. In a bowl, combine one part flour with two parts water to form a paste.
5. Dip the strips of paper into the flour paste and lay them over the balloons. Keep adding paper strips until the balloons are completely covered.
6. Let the paper dry overnight. Once it has hardened, paint over it with glue and stick small pieces of cotton stuffing over the paper. Keep gluing cotton until the entire cloud is covered.

What you'll need:

• blue ribbon
• white plastic lid
• scissors
• cotton balls
• glue

What you'll do:

1. Cut four strips of blue ribbon that are each four feet long.
2. Cut four small slits in the rim of the white plastic lid.
3. Fold one of the ribbons in half and feed the folded end through one of the slits in the plastic lid.
4. Feed the ends of the ribbon through the loop in the ribbon and pull the ribbons tight. Repeat for the other three ribbons.
5. Cover the lid with glue, then stick cotton balls to the lid to form the cloud. Once the glue has dried completely you can play with your ribbon dancer craft!

What you'll need:

• paper plate
• scissors
• markers
• cotton balls
• glue

What you'll do:

1. Cut the paper plate in half with the scissors.
2. Cut a small half circle from the middle of the plate to form the arch of the rainbow.
3. Use the markers to color your rainbow on the plate.
4. Glue cotton balls to either side of the rainbow to form the clouds.

What you'll need:

• dark and light blue tissue paper
• scissors
• wax paper
• glue
• paint brush
• bowl
• pen
• hole punch
• string
• tape

What you'll do:

1. Cut out the tissue paper into 1-inch squares.
2. Tape a large piece of wax paper to the table.
3. In a bowl, stir together a 50/50 mixture of water and glue.
4. Paint a layer of glue over the top of the wax paper.
5. Stick the tissue paper squares to the wax paper, alternating colors, then paint over the squares with the glue mixture.
6. Let the glue dry.
7. Draw small and large rain drop shapes on the wax paper once the glue is dry.
8. Cut out the rain drop shapes and punch a hole in the top of each one.
9. Thread the rain drops on the string and use tape to hang the banner in the window.

Image credit: Amy Vowles

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