Spring is a great time to break out of the mold and try something new. With better weather upon us, coupled with a sense rebirth and renewal, there’s no better time to get creative.
This week, InTown Suites brings you a few ideas on ways to entertain children this spring. So whether you’re on the road, or staying at one of our many InTown Suites properties, you’ll have just the thing to occupy the kids’ time.
Low-Cost Spring Crafts, Activities & Things to Do
1) Make a bird feeder!
This is a great springtime activity the kids will love. Afterward, they’ll be just as excited as they watch the birds come and eat from their feeders! This is a very basic craft that can be done indoors or out, and enjoyed outside or from the window of your suite.
Supplies:
- Toilet paper rolls
- Peanut butter
- Bird seed
- Knife (butter or plastic)
- Bowl
Steps:
Using the butter or plastic knife, spread an even layer of peanut butter over each toilet paper roll. Once coated in peanut butter, roll in a bowl of bird seed until completely covered in seed. Attach a string to the toilet paper roll and hang it from a tree or patio, or, forget the string and simply stick a tree branch through the roll!
2) Grow Chia Pets.
Chia pets are simple, fun spring crafts that can teach your child a lot about how to nurture and care for something. With a little set-up and TLC, the kids will enjoy taking care of their own project and seeing how it grows!
Supplies:
- Tights
- Soil/dirt
- Grass seeds
- Googly eyes, felt & pom-poms (to make a face!)
- Plastic cup or empty yogurt container
Steps:
First, add 2 or 3 generous tablespoons of grass seeds to the bottom of the foot in the tights. Now add enough soil/dirt to form a ball about the size of a tennis ball or two. Tie the tights close and re-shape into ball form as necessary.
Glue on any facial features you want the chia pet to have, like googly eyes, a pom-pom nose, and a red piece of felt for a mouth. Place chia pets on top of an empty yogurt container, plastic cup, or planter. Add water (the tights and soil will gradually soak it up). Keep adding water every so often, ensuring that the grass head is moist, but not soaked. Keep in a sunny location.
Within 1 to 2 weeks, your chia pet will have grown a full head of ‘hair’! Let the kids trim the hair and keep watching it grow for the season to come.
3) Play hopscotch!
A springtime favorite for most children, hopscotch is a great way to get some exercise and enjoy hours of competition and entertainment! Grab some sidewalk chalk, head outside to the parking lot or a cul-de-sac nearby, and let the games begin! Find out how to play hopscotch.
4) Make coffee filter butterflies.
On the next rainy day, cozy up in your InTown Suite and take out a few craft supplies to make these simple, beautiful coffee filter butterflies!
Supplies:
- Coffee filters
- Watercolor paints
- Pipe cleaners
Steps:
Open coffee filter on top of newspapers or other painting surface that won’t be damaged by any paint that seeps through the filter. Begin painting the coffee filter as desired, covering the whole surface or using any design you like.
Let the filters dry completely (roughly 20 – 30 minutes). Gather the filter in the middle and pinch the back side to form a small mound in the middle and large tufts of filter on either side (the butterfly’s wings!). Take the pipe cleaner and fold it in half, sliding it upwards and positioning it so that it is in the center of the coffee filter. Twist a few times to secure, and then curl the tops of the pipe cleaner to form the antennas.
Hang the butterflies up around your suite for you and the family to enjoy!
