The February half term is on its way! I am probably not alone in planning forward now for activities to keep myself and my son busy during the holiday, so that the hours pass productively! And I've always got an eye on making sure that the activities that we do together are planet-friendly too.
I thought I'd put together some ideas for plastic-free holiday crafts for kids, to keep school age children busy during the school holidays.
A lot of craft kits that you can find are absolutely packed with plastic! - from single-use plastic bags containing the different components, to plastic elements of the craft material itself - it can be very hard to navigate! I've found some really lovely plastic-free and sustainable options which I've tried and tested with my 5 year old (and some of his friends!) and I'll share them here...
PLAYPRESS TOYS:
Playpress Toys have a wonderful range of plastic-free craft kits, which are really great for developing fine motor skills in pre-schoolers or school age children. They can be used independently by older children, or with assistance from a parent / adult for the younger ones. The material is totally compostable and made from sustainable sources, and come in lots of different themed craft packs, from space themes, to animal themes, there is something for everyone. My son particularly enjoyed the space themed packs!
COTTON TWIST:
These craft sets are absolutely beautiful, and come in lovely little tins, which make them perfect for packing in a bag for a half-term break, or equally, for a rainy day indoors.
Cotton Twist was developed by parents hoping to reduce unnecessary plastic in craft kits for kids; I was so pleased when I found Cotton Twist!
I used some of their craft kits in gift bags at my son's 5th birthday party, and so many parents commented on how lovely they were! It makes a real change from plastic based kids toys in gift bags. Cotton Twist has a lovely range of different themed craft sets, and are great for sparking the imagination.
MAKE A SPRING WREATH:
The pagan celebration of Imbolc just passed this week, which is said to mark the end of winter and therefore the coming of spring and longer, lighter days ahead! A traditional activity to do around this time for Imbolc, is to gather cherry and almond tree buds, willow twigs, fresh leaves such as ivy, and snowdrops, and put them in a window after weaving them into a circle or wreath. How about a crafternoon with your children, weaving together a spring wreath, with some hot chocolates and homemade cookies!? I will be trying it over half term with my son (amidst all of the many drawings of monster trucks which we shall almost certainly be doing, too! ;-) )
What eco-friendly crafts will you be doing over the half term break? Do share your makes!
Best wishes,
Laura - Plastic Free Baby founder