Cardboard tubes (some people call them paper rolls) are perfect for creating crafts that engage children in pretend play once craft time is finished.

They are also great for using in a variety of STEM activities for kids.  

This Flying Dragon Craft is a fun cardboard tube craft that doubles as a simple STEM activity.  

It uses materials you probably already have on hand, which means your child can get busy creating their very own flying dragon toy, without you having to hunt fancy craft stores for supplies.  

Do you know a child that loves dragons?

Dragon activities like this one are sure to be a hit!   

Your child may also love this homemade dragon cake and homemade dragon pinata.   They’d be fun dragon crafts for kids that are older, or make them for a dragon themed party.  

This dragon craft had my son roaring and smiling as he made his homemade dragon fly over and over again.   Your child is going to love it, too!

Flying Dragon Craft

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Materials Needed:

• empty cardboard roll (4-6 inches long)
• construction paper
• yarn (or heavy string)
• markers
• wiggly eyes
• scissors
• craft glue

Decide what color you want your dragon to be. 

We chose green, but your child can make their cardboard tube dragon whatever color they choose.  They might even want to make it have multiple colors, using a different color for the wings, body, and head.  

Measure the length of your cardboard tube and cut a strip of construction paper that wide so it will cover the tube. 

Glue this paper around the tube.  You could also use clear tape to hold it in place.

Fold a piece of construction paper in half and draw a wing shape on the paper, with the folded edge being where the wing would meet the dragon’s body.  Cut out the wing shape so that when you unfold it, you have 2 wings that are connected.

Glue the wings to the cardboard tube.

Use construction paper to create a tail and a head for the dragon.  For our head we cut a piece that looks a bit like an acorn with 2 small horns. 

Your child may choose to cut a simple circle shape.  Or they may get even more creative when making their paper dragon head.  

Attach the wiggly eyes to the head and use markers to complete the dragon’s face.

Glue the tail and head to the cardboard tube.

Let the glue dry completely before doing the next part.

How to Make a Flying Dragon Toy

Cut 4-5 feet of yarn (or heavy string). 

Fold it in half and loop it over a doorknob so an equal amount hangs on both sides.  You could also hang it from a hook or the knob on a cabinet.  

Thread the loose ends of the yarn through the top of your cardboard dragon so they stick out the bottom.

To make the dragon fly, hold the two ends of the yarn, one in each hand, and pull your hands apart to separate the yarn.

As you move your hands apart, the dragon will fly to the top of the yarn. When you bring your hands back together, the dragon will slide back down.

Dragon STEM Activity 

This simple kids dragon craft is also a wonderful STEM activity. 

The yarn is actually acting like a lever in this activity.

Pulling the yarn pieces apart and to the sides changes the angle of the yarn to the tube.  The yarn, working as a lever, pushes the dragon up. 

When you change the angle of the yarn so it’s back to the center, the dragon slides back down with the help of gravity.

We had so much fun with this flying dragon craft and STEM activity.  I know your child will love it, too.

You may also enjoy:

• Musical STEM Activities
• Design a Boat that Floats
• How to Make Elephant Toothpaste

Our Favorite Craft Materials

Updated from November 2, 2018.

The post Flying Dragon Craft first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

When it comes to screen-free activities, you just can’t beat spending time outdoors with the kids.

Maybe that’s why camping is popular among families with young kids; it’s a great way to get plenty of time outside.

Even if your family isn’t planning a camping trip this summer, you can still enjoy camping crafts, roasting marshmallows and taking hikes at local parks.  That makes this duct tape craft perfect for this time of year!

Grab a few colorful rolls of tape and let the kids have fun learning how to make a sit upon.  It’s perfect for toting on hikes and using to sit around the campfire.

Duct tape is a fun material to work with in kid crafts, especially for tweens.   We’ve even used it in several fun duct tape crafts for school.

We made this sit upon at day camp as one of our scout camp crafts, and it’s seen plenty of use since then.

This duct tape sit upon would be fun to make before a family camping trip or as a craft to welcome summer.

What Is a Sit Upon

A sit upon (sit-upon) is a padded seat cushion that provides you with a dry seat when camping or hiking.  They are also great for using on bleachers during sporting events.

I remember making a Girl Scout sit upon as a young girl before our first scout camping trip.  

This no-sew sit-upon is quick and simple to make, allowing kids of all ages to create their very own colorful place to sit when outside.  

How to Make Sit Upon with Duct Tape

Affiliate links have been provided for your convenience; see my full disclosure here. 

Materials needed:

• • Cloth shopping bag
  • Plastic shopping bags
  • Polyester Fiberfill  (Optional)
  • Duct Tape

This craft is a great way to recycle some of those plastic shopping bags!  

Take one plastic bag and stuff it with 15-20 other plastic bags.  Try sitting on it.

Need more stuffing?  Add more bags.  (An alternative is to fill the plastic bag with polyester fiberfill.)

Once you have the thickness you prefer, tie your plastic bag in a knot and stuff it into your cloth shopping bag.

We chose to keep the handles on our reusable shopping bag sit-upon to make it easier to carry when hiking.

Not interested in toting it with you?  You can cut the handles off or tuck them inside the bag.

Then it’s time to start with the decorating!

Start by covering the seams of the cloth bag with duct tape, folding the tape over the edges to help waterproof it.  When taping the top of the bag, cut pieces of tape to fit around the bag’s handles.

Once the edges are sealed, use strips of duct tape to decorate the outside of your sit-upon.

You can use all one color, make a pattern, or get as creative as you wish!

This duct tape sit upon is perfect for carrying on that hiking trip, giving you a clean, dry place to sit when you need a rest.

The homemade sit upon is also perfect for sitting around the campfire.  (I remember always having my Girl Scout sit upon to sit on during campfire time at camp.)

This duct tape craft pairs greatly with our simple duct tape water bottle holder.

While you’re sitting around that campfire why not give this soap carving camp craft a try?

That comfy sit upon craft makes a great seat for reading time, too.

You could even use these sit-upons for outdoor classroom use.  Kids will love having their very own dry and comfy spot to sit when they go outside to study.  

Your child will love learning how to make a sit upon.  That duct tape sit upon may even inspire a little more reading time this year.

Other posts you may like:

• Soap Carving
• Duct Tape Water Bottle Holder
• Colorful Soda Straw Weaving 
• STEM Activity: Craft Stick Catapults 
  
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Originally published August 10, 2015. 

The post How to Make a Colorful Sit Upon with Duct Tape first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

If you are looking for a fun tween craft for your child to do at home, or maybe some new camp crafts for summer, look no farther.

Straw weaving is the perfect craft for tweens and early teens.  

The finished product can be used to make colorful yarn bracelets, headbands, belts, and necklaces.  If you use a baby fine yarn, you can even turn it into a bookmark.  

Weaving crafts are not only fun, but they can also help improve fine motor skills. 

Kids as young as 7 can be successful weaving with straws as a loom.  We did this as a Scout camp craft, and all the kids loved it! 

If you are looking for camp craft ideas, you may also want to check out this simple soap carving activity.  

Straw Weaving 

Affiliate links provided below.  See my full disclosure for more details. 

Materials Needed:

• 3-5 drinking straws (We used 3, but you can make a wider bracelet using 5.)
• Yarn
• Tape (to hold straws in place while weaving)
• Small piece of cardboard
• Scissors
• Wooden Skewer (optional)

Decide how wide you want your weaving to be when finished. 

We used 3 straws to make our loom, and it turned out to be almost 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) wide.  You can make a wider woven bracelet (or headband) by using 5 straws.  

Cut a piece of yarn for each straw you plan to use.  The yarn needs to be 4-5 inches (10-12.5 cm) longer than your straws are.  

Tie thes pieces of yarn together at one end.  

Then thread each piece of yarn through a drinking straw.   (A wooden skewer is perfect for helping guide the yarn through the straw.)

If you are using bendable straws, it helps to cut the bending tip off first so your yarn doesn’t get stuck in the bend.  Paper straws can also be used.  

Only the ends of this yarn will be seen in your final project.  The soda straws will act as your loom.

Once you have your bracelet loom made, choose what color yarn you wish to weave with.

Wrap 5-8 feet (1.5 – 2.5 m) of your yarn around a small piece of cardboard.  The cardboard will act like your shuttle as you weave.

Tie the loose end of your weaving yarn to your other 3 pieces of yarn that have been threaded through the straws. 

Secure the knotted yarn to the table with a piece of tape.  This will hold your loom in place as you weave.

Now it’s time to begin weaving with drinking straws.  

How to Straw Weave

Use the cardboard shuttle to weave your yarn over the first straw, under the second, and then over the third.  

You will continue weaving back and forth.

Use your fingers to push the yarn against the top of the loom, keeping the rows tight together. 

For the best final product, you want to keep those rows as snug as possible.  

Straw Weaving Bracelet

Once your project is long enough to go around your wrist, carefully slide the soda straws down, and off the yarn, one at a time.  You will need to use one hand to hold your weaving in place so it doesn’t unravel.

Tie your loose ends of yarn together to secure it.

Cut off extra yarn, leaving it long enough to tie the two ends together to form your bracelet. 

Find your duct tape water bottle holder, take a drink, and show off your bracelet!

We used our straw weaving to make yarn bracelets.  

You could also make a woven yarn belt or headband following the same directions.  Just make your weaving a little longer.  

You may also like:

• Build a Mechanical Hand with Straws
• How to Make a Duct Tape Sit-Upon
• Build a Craft Stick Catapult
• Yarn Weaving CD Dream Catcher
• Get the Kids Up and Moving with Math Races

Be sure to check out this straw weaving video over on my Youtube channel! 

Originally published on July 15, 2016.  

The post Make a Colorful Bracelet with Soda Straw Weaving first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

There is no right or wrong way to create a robot.  They can come in all kinds of shapes, colors, and sizes…  

The possibilities are as endless as your child’s imagination. 

Which is why making an oversized cardboard box robot is a fun recycled craft for kids of all ages to do at home or with friends at camp.  

Affiliate links have been used below.  Find my full disclosure policy here. 

Making cardboard robots is not only fun, it’s also a great way to recycle those packing boxes.

Our church VBS made these big box robots to use as robot decorations for Fun Maker Factory.  The robots were super creative and so much fun to look at.  

Once they are finished they are fun for pretend play, too.  Your child will also love this DIY Cardboard Box Castle.

Cardboard Box Robot

If you’re making oversized robots, you will want plenty of materials for the kids to experiment with and use in their crafting.

The good news is most of the items you need can be found in the recyclables or at the dollar store.  

I suggest having the following items:  

• Cardboard Boxes of Various Sizes
• Paper or Plastic Cups
• Empty Egg Cartons
• Cardboard Tubes
• Paper Plates and/or Bowls
• Dryer Ventilation Hose
• Aluminum Foil
• Plastic Bottle Caps
• Pipe Cleaners (chenille craft sticks)
• Duct Tape
• Hot Glue Gun
• Scissors
• Silver Spray Paint
• Acrylic Paints/Brushes

How to Make a Robot out of Cardboard Boxes

Start by stacking 2-3 boxes to form the body of your robot.

Experiment with how you stack them until you find a shape you like.  

You might choose to put the largest box on the bottom (like the robot below). 

Or you might use two smaller boxes on the bottom to form legs.

Move the boxes around until you are happy with how it looks.  Then use your hot glue gun to secure them together.

To give your robot a metallic look, spray the boxes with silver spray paint.

Next, add details to the robot.

Buttons are always a fun accessory for this cardboard box robot craft. 

Plastic lids make great buttons.  Or, try adding the bottom section of an empty egg carton to form rows of buttons, like the robot in the picture below.

Ventilation hose can create realistic looking robot arms and legs. 

Cut pieces to the desired length to attach to your box robots.  Use duct tape to secure them to the robot to create wiggly  arms and legs. 

Paper plates and bowls, cardboard tubes, and other small boxes can also be used to add fun details to your robots.

Once you have all the pieces glued together, you can use acrylic paint to give your robots a touch of color.  Colored duct tape is also a fun way to add details.

Making a robot out of boxes is lots of fun for kids.  

Each one turns out so differently.  You may just find that you just can’t stop with just one robot.

Once the crafting is finished, this large robot craft can be used for hours of pretend play.

Robots out of cardboard boxes also make fun decorations for a robot party.  

Get more fun ideas like this delivered to your email by subscribing to our twice monthly newsletter. 

More Posts You’ll Like:

• How to Make a Cardboard Helmet for Pretend Play
• Fun and Foamy Elephant Toothpaste Experiment 
• 40+ Crafts and Activities for Shark Week 

Originally published May 27, 2018. 

The post Create Big-Time Fun with Cardboard Box Robots first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

One way to keep your crafting budget in check is by doing kids crafts with recyclables.

Not only are recyclables an inexpensive craft material, but crafting with recyclables is also a wonderful way to teach kids to think about the environment.

With Earth Day coming up in April, I wanted to share a few of our favorite recycled crafts for kids.

Affiliate links may be used below. See my full disclosure for more information.

Recycled Crafts for Kids

Celebrating Earth Day?  Read The Lorax  (a great book about taking care of earth); then create your own Cardboard Tube Lorax.

For a fun hands-on history activity, make tin can lanterns.

Use pages from old magazines to make this beautiful butterfly craft!

This Water Bottle Sun Catcher is simple to make and looks amazing when the sun hits it!

For those Star Wars fans, make this recycled X-Wing Fighter!

Have a vehicle fan at home?  This Recycled Bottle Helicopter will have their imagination soaring!

Too early to catch fireflies?  Craft this Plastic Bottle Firefly which can double as a nightlight when camping!

Make a bouquet of Cardboard Tube Flowers to decorate the table.  (These are great for Mother’s Day, too!)

Don’t toss that old drink pouch!  Turn it into a drink pouch change purse.

This Toilet Paper Tube Octopus is fun for little ones to craft and play with.

You may also want to try this cute little cardboard tube bunny.

One of our favorite crafts every year is building a fairy house from recyclables.  They always come out so unique, like this beach-themed fairy house.

Spring is the perfect time to make your own mini garden.

Add to the dress up clothes with this Pretend Play Helmet made from cereal boxes.

This Pretend Play Jet Pack is sure to take your preschooler on many far away adventures.

Allergy season leaving you with lots of empty tissue boxes?  Make a few Tissue Box Vehicles — perfect for giving stuffed animals a ride!

Use cardboard tubes to make your own American Girl Doll campfire!  (Also great for those stuffed animals!)

This do-it-yourself Water Wall will keep them cool on hot days!

Recycle over-sized tin cans into classic tin can stilts for lots of fun outdoor play.

Hair supplies all over the place?  Recycle a hot chocolate canister into a cute hair supplies organizer!

Turn large packing boxes into thrifty play houses, like this cute Sweet Shop or this fun Cardboard Castle.

Instead of tossing out old Christmas cards, recycle them into your very own recycled Christmas card ornament.

Have a Lightning McQueen fan at home?  They will love this cardboard tube car craft.

For even more recycled crafts for kids,  check out these 40 Fun Egg Carton Crafts and Activities.

You may also like:

• Using Recyclables to Host a Classic STEM Challenge
• Why Your Kids Should Take Apart Old Electronics 
• Create a Cardboard Tube Marble Run 
• Build an Outdoor Shelter STEM Challenge

Originally published April 4, 2015. 

The post Fun Recycled Crafts for Kids first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Spring into the season with some fun craft ideas with these Spring Crafts for Tweens.

These tween crafts for spring are fun for kids to do on their own or with a friend.  

You’ll find tween flower crafts, colorful suncatchers, and plenty of other crafts for spring.  

If you have younger crafters, you may want to check out these flower crafts for kids.

Spring Crafts for Tweens

Salt Crystal Eggs — Mix science with art and make your very own sparkly crystal eggs.  You’ll be amazed how pretty they turn out.  

Colorful Butterfly Craft —  Recycle an old magazine into colorful butterflies.  Then turn them into a fun hanging garland for spring.  

Paper Pinwheels —  These colorful spinning pinwheels are perfect for spring.  They’d be fun to stick in a flower pot on the patio or to make for a younger sibling.  

Water Bottle Spinner — This recycled craft makes a gorgeous decoration for the patio or garden.  

Woven CD Dream Catcher — What a fun way to recycle old, unwanted CD’s!  In about an hour, your tween can create a colorful dream catcher.

Spring Flower Suncatcher  —  Create a beautiful rainbow-colored suncatcher, shaped like a tulip.  

Paper & Button Flowers —  The paper flower templates will really ignite your tweens creativity.  Group them together as a centerpiece, or use them as napkin holders for a special occasion.  

Flower Petal Suncatcher —  Use the petals from those spring blooms to make a gorgeous spring suncatcher.  

Pony Bead Lizard — Spring brings all the little lizards and frogs out again.  Make your own multi-colored lizards, perfect for hanging on a backpack zipper or trading with friends.  

Pom-Pom Chicks —  Learn how to make your very own pom-poms.  Then turn them into adorable fluffy chicks.  

Black Glue Butterfly Suncatcher — The contrast between the black glue and brightly colored markers make this suncatcher stunning.  

Pendulum Painting — Mix STEM and art with this outdoor craft activity.

Straw Weaving Bracelets — Turn drinking straws into a weaving loom and use it to make your very own colorful bracelets.  

Folded Paper Ninja Stars —  Brightly colored paper make these a fun craft for spring.  

Peeps Catapult —  Craft your very own miniature catapult.  Then use it to fling a few of those marshmallow chicks (or bunnies).  

These tween crafts for spring are perfect for doing alone or with a friend.  

You may also enjoy:

• Adorable Sheep Crafts 
• Rainbow Crafts for Kids
• How to Do an Egg Drop Challenge

The post Spring Crafts for Tweens first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.