Guest post by Katie Pierce
Appreciation is one of the simplest and most effective ways to show your love to your children. Children need to be seen, and it’s too often parents forget that most children are happy knowing they make their parents happy. One of the best ways to show your appreciation is through DIY gifts. When you give something you made with your own two hands, your kids will know that you put in the effort.
If you show them appreciation early, your kids will trust you more in the future, whether they have a bullying problem or are about to have their first-period talk. Today, let’s talk about the best DIY gifts you can give to your kids.
DIY Playdough
Very few kids wouldn’t enjoy a set of their very own playdough. These are malleable, fun, and encourage creativity in your child. Teaching them how to create some of their favorite things in clay form is a surefire fun activity.
Animal Headbands
For your long-haired little children, these headbands can help keep their delightful locks from blinding them. Not to mention, it’s really cute and they’ll doubly enjoy it if you give them the ears of their favorite animal as a design.
Clothespin Dolls
This is a fun one to do with your child because it’s super customizable and can be adjusted for either boys or girls. There are a lot of avenues here to let your kids (and yourself) express their creativity and thoughts. It can also be a quick “fashion” check for any clothes they might wanna try out.
Can Drums
There are probably a lot of old cans lying around your house just waiting to be part of a concert. Repurpose those old containers to be fun drums with a few pieces of cloth and some rope. They aren’t just a fun instrument, but it’s yet another super customizable gift.
Portable Lego Case
One of the most popular parenting styles is playing with your children’s toys alongside them, and legos are among the best toys for that task. However, you can’t be lugging around lego and just setting it on random floors. A portable lego case not only acts as a container but also a makeshift lego tray for your kids to make structurally sound lego creations.
Mini Foosball Table
A giant foosball table is pretty expensive, so why not just make your own out of a shoebox, some sticks, and a golfball? This is a fun competitive game for your kids, and certainly saves you a lot of cash. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could scale it up to a medium-sized foosball table made out of actual wood.
CD Shelf Toyhouse
The world has long gone past the need for CDs, generally speaking, so what to do with all those old CD shelves? Why not convert them into a funhouse for your kid’s dolls or action figures? If woodworking isn’t in the cards right now, CD shelves provide an immediate structure to be decorated and painted to your child’s liking.
Crochet Hat
A simple and practical gift to give your children is a crochet hat, preferably made in their favorite color. If you make the hat just right, it could last them throughout their entire childhood. Sometimes, the best gift is the one that you don’t even notice makes you comfy.
DIY Pillow Fort Kit
One of the most fun large-scale projects that you can make for your child is a pillow fort. While it might be fun the first time to just wing it, why not make it much easier for quick fort playtime? With some PVC pipes, blankets, connectors, and a huge knapsack, you can have a collapsible pillow fort that can be built in any bedroom.
DIY Science Kit
If your kid is showing a lot of interest in science, hone that interest by giving them a DIY science kit. Truthfully, there are a lot of varieties of science kits out there, from chemistry to physics. Think of what kind of experiments your child would love best, then make that kit for them.
Paper Flying Thingies
Helicopters, zappy zoomers, and mini-kites, are all fun little flight toys that any child will enjoy. The materials needed for these gifts are super easy to find in your average office or crafts shop. These can be played with outside or inside, making it a versatile toy.
DIY Lava Lamp
If your child is aching for cool new things to decorate their rooms, a DIY lava lamp is sure to spice up their shelves. It’s great fun to look at and also super easy to make.
DIY Crocheting Kit
If your child is showing a lot of interest in clothes and plushies, why not start them on the path of the tailor? A crochet kit is a fun gift to give to your child who loves precise and detailed work. Not to mention, crocheting is fun at any age.
Sock Puppets
If you like having plush toys but don’t feel like bothering with stuffing, sock puppets are a great alternative choice. You can use sock toys to give your child a form for their imagination to come alive. Not to mention, they are much easier to store than plushies.
Gardening Kit
If your kid is the outdoorsy type who loves playing in the dirt, you might as well teach them how to make the land bear fruit. A gardening kit isn’t just a fun activity for kids, but also teaches them the importance of hard work and caring for living things.
