Saving Money: 3 Inexpensive Play Date Craft Projects

by Tiffany Fowlkes on February 26th, 2012 | No Comments »

Play dates are a fun way to mingle with other parents and allow your sweet peas to play with other kids. With a little planning and inexpensive craft supplies, you can host play dates at your home and create an exciting get-together for all ages.

Here are a few ideas for home play date activities that are both frugal and fun:

Tire Track Paintings

Kids love making messes with their hands. This project takes finger painting to a whole new level. You can these craft projects as birthday gifts for grandparents or other loved ones.

Supplies

Paper
Kid-friendly paints
Paint brushes
Old toy cars and/or trucks

Directions

Set out the supplies and let the kids have a blast making original artwork with various textures.
Allow the paintings to dry.

Paper Towel Window Art

Paper towel window art is a fun activity that allows kids to make a variety of color effects and that you can use to decorate your front window or door with. This is a super easy yet adorable craft project that requires minimal supplies.

Supplies

Paper towels
Markers
Water
Paintbrushes

Directions

Cut the paper towels into shapes before your guests arrive.
Set out the shapes with containers of water, paintbrushes, and markers.
Have your guest use the markers to decorate the paper towels.
Instruct your guests to use the water and paint brush to paint the marker ink with water. This will create a water color effect. The effect is gorgeous and colorful.
Allow the paper towel shapes to dry and send each child home with their artwork to hang at home.

Egg Carton Caterpillars

Egg carton caterpillars are a super cute art project that even parents will enjoy creating during play dates. Everyone will come up with all kinds of ways to decorate their super-sweet caterpillars. My son even added feathers to his caterpillar.

Supplies

Paints
Paint brushes
Googlie eyes
Feathers and other decorative embellishments
Multi-colored pipe cleaners
Glue

Directions

Save a few egg cartons before your scheduled play date, or tell all attendees to bring one empty carton with them.
Set out paints, paint brushes googlie eyes, feathers and other decorative embellishments, multi-colored pipe cleaners, and glue.
Pre-cut the caterpillar bodies from the egg cartons. Allow children to decorate their caterpillars as they like. They might need a little help adding the eyes and embellishments.

What play dates do you do with your kids?

Featured photo courtesy of Flickr.

Tiffany is a mamma, photographer, blogger and writer. She has worked in the publishing industry and as a high school art and English teacher. She’s currently working on a Master’s degree in English in between playing Hot Wheels and craft time with her toddler son. Her blog, Easie Peasie, features crafts, photography tips and ideas, recipes and anything she likes, adores or finds interesting or inspiring.