It's that time of year. It's getting brighter outside but it's still cold and there is a good chance of rain at the weekend. How do you keep the kids entertained when you can't go for a walk or head to the park?
Do you have some glass jars or glass bottles lying around? Then you are in luck! We have come up with 5 easy craft activities to keep your little ones entertained using recycled glass jars and glass bottles.
In this blog we will show you everything you need to create your own amazing crafts.
1. Glass Jar Aquariums
Find out how to make your very own aquarium using a glass jar. It's simple and only requires a few things.
You will need
A glass jar with lid (per person)
Strong card
Colouring pens, pencils or paints
Scissors
Double sided tape or glue
How to make
Draw your fish, seaweed and other aquatic life on the card. Make sure they are small enough to fit in your chosen jar.
Colour in or paint your drawings. Make sure you do both sides of the card!
Cut them out and leave a stand of card below the drawing as shown below. This will be used to make them float in the water.
Paint the stands of each drawing blue for the water.
Paint half of your jar with blue paint.
Create a 90 degree bend at the bottom of each stand. About half a centimetre will do!
Stick your aquatic creations to the inside of your lid using double sided tape or glue. Spread them out and make them different heights.
Screw the lid of your jar back on and turn upside down.
You now have an amazing jar aquarium!
2. Super Hero Piggy Banks
All you need is a large jar and some paint! This one is really simple but will need some adult help.
You will need
A large Jar with lid (per person)
Paints
Paint Brush
Stanley knife
How to make
Choose your favourite super hero and find a picture of their logo.
Paint your jar with a background colour which is the same as the main colour on your super hero's suit. So blue for Superman, red for Spider-man or black for Batman
Draw your logo on to the jar once the paint has dried.
Paint over your drawing to make the logo really stand out!
Get an adult to safely cut a thin strip out of the jar lid. This will give you an opening to put money in your piggy bank. Adults, make sure no sharp edges are left!
3. Bottle Night Light
This is a great and simple way to decorate your room!
You will need
A glass bottle (any size or shape will do)
Paints and a paint brush
Bottle cork fairy lights
How to make
Choose a design or pattern for your bottle.
Paint the design on to the bottle. Make sure your paint isn't too thick otherwise light won't get through.
Add the bottle cork fairy lights and turn on! Simple.
4. Slime Storage
Do you have lots of slime or play-doh in your toy collection? Maybe you have even made your own! The best way to store it is in some decorative glass jars!
You will need
Enough glass jars and lids for all your slime and play-doh
Paints and paint brushes
How to make
Paint or decorate each jar to match it's contents. If you have green slime paint the jar green. Or maybe write what's inside. The choice is yours!
Seal up the slime and store for safe keeping!
5. Desk Tidy
This one is for slightly older kids who may have a desk for doing their homework at. Keep your kids desks tidy with this simple creation.
You will need
2-3 glass jars
Paint and paint brushes
Ribbon, string, stickers or any other decorating materials you have
Glue
Scissors
How to make
Get your older kids to design and make a desk tidy with their own style. Make sure they have enough holders for all their pens, pencils, rulers and more. Several different sized jars can look great for this.
Add this to their desk to help them keep their space organised and tidy.
Will you be making one of our rainy day kids activities? Or do you have one of your own? Let us know in the comments below. Or share your creation with us on social media.
We hope we've given you some great ideas to keep your little ones entertained. Don't forget if you need any glass jars or glass bottles head to our online store. We even sell small quantities if you want some fresh jars for your craft ideas.
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All the best
The team at Sen5es