Craft time is typically the highlight of any kid’s afternoon, but coming up with DIY projects that won’t leave your living room covered in Elmer’s glue and glitter can be, well, a challenge. There’s only so much Pinterest scrolling you can do before you start to run into the same pins over and over. That’s what makes this activity from Union Square Play so refreshing: It’s practically mess-free, requires minimal supplies and is totally unlike the finger paints, slime-making and coloring your kids are used to doing.
Brooke Desir, founder of creative education program BeBox Kids, takes us through the craft in the video above with her son, Ace. It’s become a go-to in her household because it’s an easy project to start, stop and come back to—ideal for kids who get halfway through a project, get interested in something else, and need a break (so basically, all kids).
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- Tempera Paint Sticks
- Transparency paper
- Scissors
Desir uses a bed tray table, like this $13 one from IKEA, for the project, since it’s just the right height for toddlers to use as a craft table. She places a transparency on top of a sheet of white paper, letting her son color all over it with the paint sticks. Once he’s done, they use kid-safe scissors to cut out their designs, creating fun, abstract art that’s perfect for hanging in a window—where sun can reflect through it—or on the wall.
Get the full tutorial in the video above, and visit Union Square Play for even more creative ways to keep kids entertained.
