Simple DIY ideas for kids: 38 crafting ideas with video tutorial

Welcome to our crafting world for the little ones! Crafting with children easily is our ambition - that's why we have designed each tutorial specifically for small children's hands and short attention spans.

We test all projects with children of preschool age ourselves before they are published on our portal. This ensures that crafting with children is easy to implement and guaranteed to be successful. Because nothing is more frustrating than a project that is too complicated or too long-winded for the little ones.

We shoot our videos in a child-friendly environment with calm camera movements and clear hand movements. Each step is clearly demonstrated so that both children and adults can easily follow along. The accompanying photos capture important moments and serve as a quick reference guide.

Especially practical: With each crafting tutorial, you will find a clear list of materials with precise details of what you need. This way, you can easily check before crafting with children whether you have everything at home or what you still need to get. We intentionally use everyday materials that are available in every household or in the nearest stationery store.

Our tips for parents, grandparents, and educators provide valuable insights on how to optimize the crafting experience - from choosing the right time to preparing the workspace to providing meaningful assistance that empowers the child rather than patronizing them.

Crafting with Toddlers: Developmentally Appropriate Projects for Little Explorers

Crafting with toddlers requires special projects tailored to their abilities. Our tutorials take into account this stage of development and offer age-appropriate challenges.

For three-year-olds, we recommend first experiences with scissors and paper. Crafting with toddlers can mean cutting colorful paper strips together or tearing simple shapes. What may seem trivial to us adults is a complex coordination task for little hands that requires concentration and fine motor skills.

Gluing different materials is another important developmental step. Whether wooden sticks, cotton balls, or fabric scraps - getting to know different textures and placing them intentionally not only promotes tactile perception but also spatial imagination.

Particularly valuable: Crafting with toddlers that involves working with modeling clay or clay. Neurologists confirm that kneading, pressing, and shaping pliable materials activates multiple neural connections in the brain. The three-dimensionality of these materials also enhances spatial thinking.

Also, painting with various tools - from brushes to sponges to fingers - creates important sensory experiences. Crafting with toddlers can sometimes be a bit more chaotic, as there is enormous learning potential in free experimentation.

Experts in early childhood development like Dr. Thomas Müller from the University of Munich emphasize: "Every crafting activity in which children manipulate different materials, use tools, and make decisions creates complex neural networks that form the basis for later abstract thinking." Crafting with toddlers is not just child's play, but essential brain development.

Crafting with children is much more than just a nice pastime - it is an important building block for children's development. Especially in the preschool age between 3 and 5 years, crucial skills are promoted through creative handicrafts.

A study by the University of Heidelberg from 2021 proves: Children who regularly craft with children develop significantly better fine motor skills than their peers. These motor skills later form the basis for learning to write in school.

Dr. Martina Schmidt from the German Institute for Early Childhood Education explains: "The child's brain is particularly malleable in the first six years of life. Neuronal connections made during this time through tactile experiences such as crafting, kneading, and cutting remain for a lifetime." So, crafting with children means investing in their future.

During the joint design process, not only are the fingers trained: Concentration, patience, and perseverance are also cultivated. When a child learns to follow a work process and complete a project, it acquires important competencies for later life.

The emotional component also plays a significant role: Crafting with children creates valuable bonding moments between parents and children. The shared time and the shared joy of creating strengthen the relationship and foster the child's self-confidence.

A long-term study by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden also shows that children who are introduced to creative activities early on later demonstrate a higher problem-solving competence. Crafting with children thus lays the foundation for creative thinking and innovative approaches.

Simple creative projects for little artists: Discover our diverse crafting world

In addition to our collection for crafting with toddlers, our portal offers a wealth of other creative activities for children of different age groups. You will find a total of over 150 instructions for child-friendly origami and around 100 other DIY ideas specifically for children.

While our toddler category focuses on the development of basic skills, our projects grow with your child. For preschoolers aged 5 and above, we offer the first simple origami folding instructions, which already allow for more independence. School-aged children can try more complex projects.

Each age group will find suitable challenges: From the first paper airplane to cute animal faces and themed projects for seasons and holidays. Our collection is constantly growing, and we are open to suggestions for new themes.

Our thematically sorted project weeks are particularly popular, where children can create interconnected creations over several days - perfect for holiday times or rainy weekends.

Browse through our categories and discover the diversity of our ideas! Each project is lovingly prepared with clear instructions, helpful videos, and inspiring photos. We are convinced: Creativity knows no bounds, and with our instructions, every child can unfold their creative skills.

Explore our different categories and find new inspirations for creative hours with your child. From seasonal crafting ideas to upcycling projects and educational do-it-yourself games - you will definitely find something with us.