So before the hibernating truly begins, I’ve put together a list of crafts based on children’s books you can do with the children in your life over the winter. Kids make things more fun, and they’ll motivate you to get your project done by either 1) abandoning it halfway through, requiring you to finish it as a matter of principle, or 2) getting super into it and making it a joy and a bonding experience from beginning to end. Either way, you’ll finish a project and hopefully have some fun along the way! Knitting develops fine motor skills, teaches patience, and builds the attention span. Plus, it makes stuff, which is pretty cool! You and your kiddo could follow in Zinnia’s footsteps and knit a sweater for a tree (hint: it’s a tube), or make mittens/scarves for people in need. Of course you don’t need a kit to grow an indoor garden; you can also wing it! Get some potting soil, chuck some seeds in, water occasionally, and see what happens. I found a good tutorial here at The Spruce Crafts. The general idea is that you’ll want to soak and then blend a bunch of newspaper and/or junk mail in a blender until it’s a goopy, gloopy mess. Squeeze the water out, then stir seeds in with a spoon. You can use any small seeds; wildflower seeds are popular, but make sure you’re getting a blend that’s native to your region. You can press the seeded paper into cookie cutters to make fun shapes, then let it dry. Voila! If snow isn’t available yet — or even if it is and you’d just prefer to stay inside — you can make snow that won’t freeze your fingers! Another tutorial from The Spruce Crafts, this one can also make one heckuva mess, so be ready. It requires only two ingredients (three if you decide to add glitter): shaving cream and baking soda. Play with the ratios until you’re happy with the texture, then mold some snow people or build your own winterscape. Note: this snow is not edible. There are so many ways to keep yourself and your kids entertained during the winter. I hope these crafts based on children’s books have sparked some ideas for you! Find even more crafts based on children’s books in this list of DIY craft kits for booklovers or this roundup of The Very Hungry Caterpillar activities.
