Make your grandparents feel special with these easy crafts for kids. Make a set of coasters, a pair of placemats, or a gift with your handprint.
Whether kids are two or twelve, these craft activities for kids allow them to make personalized gifts for their grandparents. In the United States, Grandparents’ Day is always the first Sunday in September after Labor Day. In 2012, that day is September 9. Of course, these crafts also work on birthday presents and holiday gifts.
Easy Crafts for Kids that Use Photographs
Kids should look for photographs of themselves doing a variety of different things (playing sports, appearing in the school play, wearing the sweater that grandma gave them for their birthday). If you don’t have photograph paper on hand, print the pictures on regular paper.
Coasters
Find a coaster or a large mug or glass that you can trace. Draw a light line with a pencil around the best part of the photograph and then carefully cut (you can use scissors with a decorative edge). Bring the rounds to the office supply store and get them laminated. When you cut out the coasters, leave a narrow margin of the clear laminate around each picture.
Placemats
Make a special placemat for your grandparents by creating a collage of different pictures glued onto an 11” x 14” sheet of construction paper. It is okay to allow some of the paper to show through. If you want, you can cut the pictures to different shapes or even cut around the subject of a photograph for variety. Bring the placemats to the office supply store and get them laminated.
Painted Crafts for Kids
Handprint art makes for a loved and cherished keepsake because it shows how the child is growing. You can print on tote bags and t-shirts, but also think about printing on the sides of planters, on the cover of photo albums, on the fabric for a pillow cover, etc.
Use acrylic paint, which will hold up to getting washed. Pour a small amount of paint on a paper plate and spread it thinly with the back of a plastic spoon. Have your child press their hand into the paint and then on the object to be printed. If the child is old enough to write their name, have them do so with a small, stiff paintbrush. Adults can paint on the name of younger children.
The above Grandparents’ Day crafts for kids can be done by an only child or they can incorporate the images or handprints of several children in a family. Always remember to write the year, in permanent marker, somewhere on the item so it can serve as a keepsake of the child.
