Craft Ideas for Kids | Ice Sun Catchers

We think of January as being a bleak time of year but if you look a bit more closely there is a surprising amount of colour to be found. I couldn't believe what treasures we came up with in our neglected garden, and on closer inspection bushes and trees everywhere are equally as bountiful.

They say you need to work with what you've got, and this weekend we got ice! How lucky we were, as it enabled us to make these beautiful sun catchers. A simple, fun, exploratory craft, working with and honouring nature.

You will need: Shallow trays, String or Twine, Pretty things to put inside, Water

1. Arrange your treasures in your trays.

2. Place some string inside the trays, with some hanging over the side.

(Don't worry about arranging things perfectly as everything bobs about at the next stage).

3. Fill your trays with water.

4. Leave them outside overnight.

5. Take your kids outside the next morning to marvel at the wonders of nature.

6. Hang your ice arrangements up and allow them to catch the sun!

We also tried making some with paint splurged into the water, like this one with a bit of gold:

We really want to try some more with the paint but the temperature has changed! I never thought I'd hear myself saying this but I can't wait til it gets colder again so we can make some more.

For another simple craft activity, perfect for this time of year, try these Natural Bird Feeders.