30 Easy DIY Craft Ideas to Do at Home With Kids

Colorful, simple and sometimes delicious crafts and DIYs for the whole family!

DIY

Keeping up with the kids can feel like an unlimited reality TV series that renews every year. If you’re running out of ways to keep your littles happy and busy, Chatbooks is here to help with beyond easy DIY crafts for kids that they’ll actually enjoy. We rounded up the best family DIY projects and crafts so that they can put all that energy into new creations (instead of drawing all over your white walls).

Between watercolor paint guns and no-mess, mud truck play areas, it doesn’t matter what age your kids are, there are plenty of family craft ideas (and food DIYs!) to keep everyone in your squad entertained. And there are tons of ways to capture and keep those one-of-a-kind moments, from snapping and printing those memories in a photo book to working together to create your very own family recipe book. Read on for new ideas for family DIY projects, food adventures and crafts.

Outer Space Sensory Bottle

These easy-to-make sensory bottles are perfect for your galaxy-loving little ones. They can add their favorite colors in food coloring and sparkles to create their very own solar system contained in a single jar.

Coupon Book

Whether you’re celebrating Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or a birthday, add a new spin on the traditional coupon book by customizing a Classic Photo Book with photos of you and the recipient, plus all the fun activities that are in their future!

Volcano Explosion

From Valentine’s Day to a random Tuesday in August, your kids will never get tired of creating a tiny, colorful eruption from the comfort of their own home. Try this heart-filled example for Valentine’s Day, or add tiny toys, confetti and food coloring with your kids to customize their volcano explosion with their favorite items.

Rainbow Clouds

This mesmerizing explosion of color will keep your kids’ attention on their project (and off taking selfies on your phone)! It’s perfect for kids who love color and aren’t fans of long, complicated crafts.

Colorful Summertime Bubbles

If your kids love bubbles, add a few drops of food coloring and a straw for this genius hack that’ll keep them busy all day long. (Hot tip: If the bubbles pop on their clothes, the food coloring may stain!)

Cinnamon Slime

Break out this slime when the leaves are falling so your little ones can create this sparkly, fall-themed slime that’s perfect for adding tiny pumpkin and leaf pieces to. While it looks delicious, make sure your kids don’t put it in their mouth!

Family Recipe Book

While you’re busy trying out new craft and food concoctions with your kids, don’t forget to write ‘em down! Commit to making a few family recipes with the kids and take photos of them while they cook. Then, upload the recipes and photos into a Chatbook! Using a Classic Photo Book to keep track of your family’s unique “recipes” is a great way to never lose your memories.

Watercolor Paint

Don’t throw away your old markers! Use this neat trick to give them new life—and your kids a new way to paint with watercolors! Try it outside with paper, or on a snowy day.

Basketball Hoop DIY

Do your kids have an indoor basketball hoop that looks beat up (or is just in need of a makeover)? Here’s an easy way to turn that basketball hoop into both a fun toy and conversation starter.

LEGO Chocolate

While you can use this genius hack to make custom chocolate bars (hint: Try this for holiday occasions like Mother’s Day!), your kids will love “building” their own chocolate bar, especially since it breaks like a LEGO. They can customize their candies, flavors and colors, too!

Iridescent Ornaments

Not only are these ornaments a breeze to make, their mesmerizing exterior will keep your kids entertained and entranced! They can customize each ornament with their favorite colors, stickers and more.

Cloud Bath

If you’re not a fan of slime, this mess-free alternative uses Ivory soap to create a super light and fun to pull apart substance. Try it at bathtime for the ultimate no-mess hack!

Cardboard Dollhouse

Want to DIY a dollhouse for your kids? No problem. We laid out a step-by-step tutorial on how to build a cardboard dollhouse using packaging from your Chatbooks photo books. Add some tiny pieces of furniture and small toys and violà!

Bubble Wrap Sensory Painting

Using tape, wrap the bubble wrap from shipping packages around your little one’s feet, dip them in paint and let them go wild on a large piece of paper, cardboard, etc. Hot tip: Make sure they know where to stop running so they don’t make a mess on your floor!

Edible Chocolate Flowers

If you’re looking for a sweet treat that your kids will love (or just trying to avoid the outdoor heat), these delicious flowers are easy to make, and customizable to your kids favorite flavors and colors. They can create their own unique flowers, and then eat them for dessert! (Bonus: Try making these for holiday occasions like Mother’s Day!)

Bedtime Chore Chart

Having trouble with your kids’ bedtime routine? Grab some paper, markers and velcro to make this genius bedtime routine chart—your kids will love checking off their activities as they go, plus they’ll love making the chart (and adding their own illustrations).

Vampire Teeth Cookies

Whether you’re prepping for a Halloween party or looking to take a bite out of a tasty treat, your kiddos will think these super cute cookies are as fun to eat as they are to make.

Caramel Turkey Apples

This twist on candy apples is perfect for the fall, but perfect for showing your kids how to be grateful. Have them write things they’re thankful for on the sticks, then have them create either turkeys for whatever creatures they can think of out of caramel apples.

DIY Fidget Toys

If your kiddos love sensory toys, why not make your own?! This way, your kids can customize their toys to their favorite textures, colors and more. These fidget toys are easy to make and great to have on hand.

Gum Ball Ornament

Whether you make this as an ornament or a fun DIY piece of decor for your kids’ bedroom, who can resist the allure of a gumball machine? While this one doesn’t accept quarters and spit out tiny toys and gum, your family will have a blast building a customized gum ball machine—plus it’ll fit right on a Christmas tree!

Fingerpaint Bouquet

For families with springtime allergies, this is a great way to bring a colorful bouquet into your home! Your kids can choose their own colors, create their own species and paint to their heart’s desire. Pro tip: These flowers are also great to make for mom or grandma for Mother’s Day.

Cardboard Car Park

If your little ones are fans of Hot Wheels and other toy cars, with the help of a hot glue gun and some scissors, you can create your own multi-level race track from the packaging your Chatbooks photos books arrive in!

DIY Multi-Color Wreath

No more fighting over white or multi-color lights at home, you can have both! Follow this super easy DIY to create a custom (and fuzzy) holiday wreath with your kiddos.

Egg Dyeing

Whether you’re dyeing eggs for Easter, or for a fun and colorful activity with your little ones (don’t forget to hard boil them first!), use a whisk to dredge them in your kids’ favorite colors before letting them dry and adding stickers and colored markers.

Valentine’s Hacks

Don’t want to spend a fortune on cards, gifts and treats for your kids’ V-Day class parties? Try this easy hack for making heart-shaped cupcakes, pink and red bookmarks and custom conversation hearts in place of V-Day cards. These hacks are great for busy parents!

Leprechaun Trap

Catching leprechauns is especially popular around St. Patrick’s Day, but your kids can build their trap and catch one year-around. Hot tip: This LEGO diving board idea can also work for Elf on the Shelf come winter season.

April Fools’ Jokes

These genius jokes are tons of fun for your kids to play on friends and family members—or for you to play on them!—and they’re simple and sweet enough that it should be a tear-free event!

Homemade Yogurt Tubes

Whether you’re going for a holiday-inspired yogurt tube, like this St. Patty’s Day example, or just making custom yogurt tubes (reminiscent of your fave Go-Gurt snack!) based on your child’s fave colors, flavors and sweets, these frozen pops will be their new go-to DIY and snack.

Halo Effect Photo

Using a circular item or metal ring from the Dollar Store, hot glue your child’s favorite objects on the circle, then hold at the lens of your camera to create a cool halo effect. Add dinosaurs and stage a chase scene with your kids, or pose for a cute holiday shot, like this one for Easter.

Customized Snow Globe

Whether you’re customizing snow globes with your fave family photos, or your kids want to add stickers and tiny toys from their fave shows and films, they’ll love creating these custom wintry landscapes that don’t break the bank.

Try any of these 30 easy DIY crafts for kids at home, ranging from colorful to delicious, to find the right activity for your crew. These fun family craft ideas are perfect DIY projects and crafts for families to do together. Don’t forget to snap photos of the mess and the finished product (and that way you have photo evidence you can print and post on social when your kids are tired of looking at their treats and finally eat them—or you need more space on your fridge!).