Flamingo Valentine

What You Need: Pink pipe cleaners; pink cardstock or construction paper; pink patterned paper (optional); heart shaped template or punch (or freehand or trace a heart); black marker; googly eye; glue.

How to Make It: Cut out two hearts that are the same size. Bend pipe cleaner as shown to make neck and legs (for a large flamingo, you may need two pipe cleaners; for a small one you’ll want to cut one apart). Glue two hearts together, securing the pipe cleaners in the process. Cut two head shapes (an adult may want to make a template for the kids). Use black marker to make bill. Glue on googly eye(s). Glue head pieces together at the end of the neck. Bend pipe cleaners to position head and legs. Child can write name or Valentine message on one side of the flamingo.

Cone-shaped Santa craft

What You Need: 8 1/2″ square red construction paper; approx. 2 1/2″ circle from pink construction paper; 1″ strip black cardstock; 1″ wide yellow rectangle (pre-cut or let children cut with safety scissors); 2 googly eyes; pink or red crayon; cotton balls; staples or tape; glue.

How to Make It: Adult helps child twist red cardstock into a cone shape and secure with staples or tape. Then child uses crayon to draw nose and mouth on pink construction paper. Glue on eyes. Child then uses glue to adhere Santa’s belt, cotton ball beard and cap tassel.

Thankful turkey craft

What You Need: Large brown construction paper circle; small purple construction paper circle; small purple construction paper rectangle; four or five colorful feather shapes. (You can precut all of these or trace them and have the kids do it.); scrap of orange construction paper; 2 googly eyes; black pipe cleaners; scissors; glue.

How to Make It: Ask child to dictate several things he or she is thankful for. Write them on the pointy oval “feathers.” Child can then assemble the turkey as shown. Bending lengths of pipe cleaner outward makes the feet.

Footprint turkey craft

What You Need: White butcher paper or construction paper; nontoxic brown paint; 2 googly eyes; scrap of orange construction paper; 6 colorful feathers; glue; tape; paintbrush; scissors.

How to Make It: Brush paint onto child’s foot (this generally works a little better than having them step in the paint, but that’s fine, too.) Have child step on white paper without wiggling, and then pull off in one motion. Let dry. Cut out foot shape. Glue on googly eyes and orange triangle beak to heel. Attach feathers to back with glue or tape.

Candy corn clay pot craft

What You Need: 1 small clay pot; pencil; orange, yellow and off-white acrylic paint; paint brushes.

How to Make It: Using pencil, divide clay pot into three sections. Letting paint dry between each color, paint the pot in the order of candy corn. Then, use it for real or artificial flowers, or line and and fill it with candy. Makes a great centerpiece!

Jack-o-Lantern shirt craft

What You Need: White T-shirt in your child’s size; orange fabric dye; rubber bands; black permanent marker (such as Sharpie).

How to Make It: Prepare dye as instructed on package. Help child section off portions of the shirt and wrap rubber bands around these sections multiple times. Dye shirt according to package directions. Wash shirt by itself in cold water using laundry detergent. Dry it by itself. Once dry, use permanent marker to draw jack-o-lanterns. (The jack-o-lantern faces would be super-cute if drawn by the child, but my kid wasn’t into it on this day!)

Farm animal bookends

What You Need: 2 wood blocks (sanded, or older children can sand their own); 8 craft sticks; wood glue or another stong but safe glue (supervise children carefully); acrylic paints; brushes; assorted plastic farm animals and accessories.

How to Make It: Paint wood blocks green for grass (or yellow for hay, or any color they’d like!). Paint craft sticks white or brown. Let dry. Glue sticks into fence shape as shown. Let dry. Glue to wood block. Repeat for other bookend. Arrange animals in barnyard scene and adhere with glue.

Worm bookmark

What You Need: Craft foam in bright colors; medium pompom; short length of pipe cleaner; 2 small pompoms; durable circle punch or quarter (to trace around); foam glue; scissors.

How to Make It: Punch out circles, or trace around a quarter with pencil and cut out the circles (littler kids may need some help with this). Glue circles together, overlapping slightly. Glue medium pompom to top circle. Cut 2 approximately 1-inch lengths of pipe cleaner for antennae and glue behind top circle. Glue small pompoms to ends of pipe cleaners. Optional; add googly eyes.

Sunflower hands

What You Need: Yellow construction paper; pencil; glue; sunflower seeds; black pipe cleaner; brown pipe cleaner; scissors; stapler.

How to Make It: Trace child’s hand 8 to 10 times on yellow construction paper, using pencil. Have child cut out the hand shapes (littler kids will need help). Arrange the hands upside down (so the pencil marks don’t show), overlapping in a circle, and glue, tape or staple together. Staple straight brown pipe cleaner to back of sunflower. Cut black pipe cleaner in half and bend into circle. Staple to center of flower. Use glue to add sunflower seeds to center.

Mother's Day corsage

What You Need: 2 jumbo-size muffin tin liners; 2 regular (cupcake) size liners; red marker; section from egg carton; yellow paint; green pipe cleaner; paintbrush; scissors; adhesive (glue, stapler or tape).

How to Make It: Paint egg carton section yellow and let dry. Have children cut into the ruffled sides of the liners, from the edge to where the ruffled part ends. They can make cuts about 1/2″ apart, or make designs or whatever they’d like. Run red marker around edges of each liner. Stack liners and secure in center with stapler or glue. Bend pipe cleaner into leaf shapes and secure on back with stapler or tape. Glue or tape yellow egg carton section to center.