Not many parents have time to pick up a new hobby these days. On the other hand, it’s kind of our job to expose our kids to as many hobbies as possible — or, well, not hobbies exactly, but the arts, sports, and other activities that help them learn through play. Now we don’t have to worry if we’re not experts at sewing, woodworking, sculpting, beading, and hand-made puzzle-making, because the world’s most enterprising makers are at our fingertips through Etsy.
Thousands of Etsy makers have made it part of their business to create handmade toys, DIY kits, activity boxes, and printables that are ideal for teaching our children and keeping them busy at home. Got a kid itching to learn needlepoint? Done. A toddler who loves puzzles? Check. A big kid who wants build something out of wood with his own two hands when you possess little more than a screwdriver? No problem.
There’s another side benefit to buying these kids activities and craft kits on Etsy: You’re giving your money directly to makers, not to some corporate behemoth. In a time when it’s not always easy to shop local, this feels like the next best way to make sure small businesses stick around — whether they’re down the block or on the other side of the world.
You don’t need to tell your kids about all that, though. They’ll be too busy having fun.
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Little Explorers Play Bead Sewing Kit
Preschool-age kids can get an early start on being crafters — or just practice those motor skills — with this kit. It includes burlap cloth, an embroidery ring, star beads, a needle, and yarn for a creative introduction to needlework.
Red Line Studio 5 Printable Scavenger Hunts
Sure, you can come up with your own scavenger hunts, but sometimes your imagination is just tapped out for the day. Let the professionals take over once in a while and download these five lists.
Tickle Me Purple Jigsaw Puzzles
Choose one (or all) of these 30-piece puzzles that give Black girls the representation they deserve in puzzle form. The artist also makes coloring books to match.
Wildroots Farm Store Flower Power Garden Kit
Gardening isn’t just for grandmas and survivalists anymore. This kit includes soil pucks, starter pots, markers, and seeds to grow black-eyed susans, zinnias, and four different kinds of sunflowers with your budding green thumbs.
PasTEX Connectorz
This is kind of a brilliant idea: connectors you can use with regular dry spaghetti noodles to build elaborate structures. We’re just not sure if you should eat that spaghetti afterwards.
Sozo DIY Needlepoint Kit
These kits are designed with fabric nets and short-stitch patterns to make them easier for young beginners. One kit includes yarn, a needle, a cardboard frame, and four designs.
Soil and Sawdust Birdhouse Kit
We love the idea of kids learning how to build things, but aren’t quite crazy about little ones handling saws and hammers. This kit includes all the precut wood, screws, and hinges they need to make a home for backyard birds. (Paint isn’t included, but that can be a fun secondary project.)
Arteza Fuse Beads
Like with Perler beads, kids can make their own mosaic designs with these colorful plastic beads on a peg board. If they love what they made, an adult can help use an iron to fuse them together into a permanent work of art.
Busy Kid Company Busy Box
Whether you’re traveling or just have a kid who likes to switch between activities frequently, it makes so much sense to pack a variety of activities into one box like this. It includes materials for paper crafts, scratch art, stamps, blocks, card games, coloring and more fun stuff for kids ages 4 and up.
My Confetti Crate Dramatic Play Printables
Download this file to print out everything your kids need to set up their own ice cream parlor, post office, airport, veterinarian office, donut shop, doctor’s office, library, and pizza parlor. Well, it has all the signage and paper products, anyway. They’re on their own to create products and irate customers.
Stowey Joey Mats Tetris Puzzle
This wooden block puzzle looks so very satisfying to put together, it may even rival the video game on which it’s based. Little ones can mess around with the shapes, while slightly older kids will enjoy figuring out how to fit them all in the box.
Robot Sparky’s Shop Paper Robot Download
For an easily accessible activity, you can download this PDF that includes a template and instructions to color and construct a 3-D paper robot. Actual working robotic parts not included, but that also guarantees that this guy won’t take over the world.
Wildflower Toys Fairy Peg Doll Kit
If ever there were a time to return to old-fashioned homemade toys, we’re probably in it. This kit includes the materials (felt shapes, pegs, and glue) to make four fairies.
From Loft to Loved Dinosaur Excavation Kit
What’s really great about these kits is that they involve two stages of activity. First, there’s the effort kids have to make to excavate the “fossils” from the clay block. Then they’ll put them together to build their own museum-ready model.
Grace Candleworks Unicorn Soap Making Kit
Been doing a lot of handwashing? May as well make it magical! This kit includes ingredients to make four large bars of goat milk soap, with two unicorn molds, fragrance, and colorant.
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