Craft Ideas For Kids | Make Your Own Mini Tents

The closer we get to camping the more my kids can think of nothing else… bags get packed and unpacked, supplies disappear from the kitchen, the living room becomes a field full of makeshift tents for all their toys… This year I am going to try to turn their attention to small world play, in the hope that there will still be enough space for our own stuff in the car!

This sweet little craft won't take over your home and requires so few materials that it can easily be prepared for as a holiday activity, perfect for a quiet moment at the campsite.

You will need: A felt sheet approximately A4 in size, 5 sticks or twigs between 15 - 20 cm in length, Some string, Scissors

1. Start by cutting a big semi-circle out of your piece of felt, the top of which reaches about two thirds of the way up. Then cut a smaller semi-circle out of the bottom, only about two little fingers high. Then trim some of the bottom of the semi-circle away, again only going as high as those two little fingers. You should end up with a nice fan shape.

2. Turning your piece of felt the other way up, place your gathered sticks in the middle, with the tops poking above the small semi-circle.

3. Fold one side of the felt over the sticks and then the other, making a small overlap at the top.

(Yes, that is my dog’s foot in the corner, she just couldn’t stay away).

4. Having placed your string underneath the felt and sticks, towards the top, tie it tightly to hold everything in place. Adjust if necessary.

5. Play!

Older children may enjoy using the felt scraps to make a sleeping bag, for which you will also need some embroidery thread and some needles.

Younger children may enjoy using the scraps to make this Felt & Bead Necklace. 

And if you can’t resist the Nins and Felt tree as a holiday treat then you can find them, along with many other things to inspire the imagination, in our Small World Play section.