Three Creative Activities to do With Kids on a Budget!

Play and create on a budget! Your local library may have free or discounted resources for playing, depending on where you are and what library it is.

If you have ever wanted to get creative with your kids but you don't have a lot of resources, this blog post is for you! Here are three creative activities to do with kids on a budget from elementary education major and artist Samantha Kilburn.

1. The "I Am" Game.

Get ready to be everything - a monster, a princess, a tiger, a knight. It's your usual game of pretend, right? Wrong! Here's the twist: You and your child have to grab a piece of paper and draw or write about that character, and then the other person becomes them. For example, tell your five-year-old to draw something. When they're done, become that character. Grab a pink hat to represent the pink hair of the creature, a scarf to be the tail, and a looooooooonnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg stick to be the master staff. Then your child becomes what you drew, and you play a game of pretend together.

Resources: Paper, markers, pens, crayons, or pencils, and household items that fit into the game of pretend.

2. The Folding Message Game (for older children).

Fold a piece of paper into thirds and write a message for them going down the page word-by-word. When you get to the fold, write one word below it that fits into your sentence and give it to the kid not allowing them to see the first third of the page. Your sentence does not have to end at the fold. Have the kid do the same thing on the next fold, and repeat into you run out of room. Then unfold the paper and have a good laugh!

Resources: Paper, pens, pencils, markers, or crayons. A smile!

3. Clay Rings (With a Twist!)

If your child can model clay, take some air dry clay and make each other a ring for your finger. The twist is, you have to make the ring into your favorite animal. Think of the features of that animal and get to building!

Resources: Air Dry Clay.