With most schools closed for the foreseeable future, keeping on top of your children’s education – whether their teachers sent home packets or you’re relying on free online resources – is a priority. Because families might not be in the position to buy a slew of new supplies at the moment (and there are only so many movies your fam can watch in a day!), we’ve rounded up some easy-to-execute crafts and experiments for parents to create with their kids.
Scroll through for a look at some of our favorite options, whether you’re aiming to teach your brood about the basics of physics or want to hunker down for an hour to DIY some bookmarks! And if you’re in the market for more educational content, check out these authors who are holding read-alongs and drawing sessions online.
Related: Children's Book Authors Are Offering Free Online Videos While Kids Are Home From School
Unsplash / Tijana Drndarski
Make Rock Candy
All you need to make a simple rock candy recipe is water and sugar! Feel free to add flavoring using vanilla extract if you have it laying around and prepare watch the crystals form.
Flickr / Lisa Yarost
Create Plate Masks
Cut out eye holes in a few paper plates and give kids markers to decorate personalized masks, whether they want to go the superhero or princess route, the sky’s the limit!
Flickr / Kate Ter Haar
Do a Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment
Prepare to amaze kiddos with this tried a true Diet Coke and Mentos experiment. Just combine the two ingredients, step back, and watch your creation explode. Pro tip: do this one outside, because it can get very messy.
Flickr / Emma Craig
Decorate Bookmarks
Cut out strips of heavy pieces of paper to fashion bookmarks and have little ones go to town with decorating! Added bonus: it’s a sweet keepsake.
Flickr / tokyofoodcast
Use Lemon Juice to Make Invisible Ink
Squeeze a bit of lemon juice and a few drops of water into a bowl to DIY your own invisible ink! Use a paint brush or cotton ball to write messages on white paper. Once your message dries, hold it near heat to reveal the secret words or image.
Unsplash / Eliška Motisová
Experiment With the Properties of Oil and Water
Teach your children the meaning of density by simply pouring a half-cup of oil and a half-cup water into a clear bottle. Mix it up by adding a few drops of food coloring to see how the pigment disperses.
Flickr / Mark Drago
Make Your Own Birdhouse
When it comes to DIYing birdhouses with your brood, you can get creative with the materials. Opt for pieces of scrap wood or cut open a clean milk jug and have the kids help you paint!
Flickr / Morag Riddell
Get Colorful With Crayon Art
Have a bunch of old crayons laying around? Us too! Tape them to a piece of cardboard and melt them with a hair dryer to get a gorgeous rainbow effect.
Flickr / Free Parents
Make Tissue Paper Flowers
We bet dollars to doughnuts you have a few sleeves of tissue paper hidden in a closet somewhere! Use this handy instructional video to make pretty paper flowers and be sure to display them proudly in a vase or on the wall!
Flickr / Keenan Pepper
Grow Mold on Bread
Grab five slices of bread do the following before putting them in separate bags: 1) put one straight into the bag untouched, 2) let kids touch one slice with dirty hands, 3) have your children wash their hands with soap and water before touching the bread, 4) have them touch a slice after using hand sanitizer, and 5) rub one piece on a frequently used surface of your home. Leave the bread out for a few days and watch the mold spores grow.
Flickr / Morag Riddell
Attach a Parachute to a Small Toy
Attach a small plastic bag (or cut out part of a larger one using the directions in this video), to one of your kids’ toys before heading up to the top of the stairs to let her rip!