19 Easy Back to School Crafts for Kids
Going back to school can affect kids in different ways. Some kids may get excited, while others feel afraid, nervous, or anxious.
Back to school crafts are a great way to help your children adjust to the idea of summer ending. We’ve found 19 back to school crafts for kids to do in the weeks leading up to school or once school is back in session.
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19 Back to School Crafts for Kids
These crafts are ideal for kids of all school ages. You’ll need to provide your kids with the necessary craft supplies to complete them.
You may need to assist younger kids with some projects, but many can be done solo with minimal supervision.
Necessary craft supplies start with a craft trio of glue, a permanent marker, and scissors.
Other materials you can need include:
- Pencils
- Paper – cardstock, construction, scraps
- Sticks – popsicle, craft, twigs
- Coloring utensils – markers, crayons, pencils, paints
- Glue – hot, clear, Elmer’s school
- Felt
- Googly eyes
- Erasers
You’ll also need a printer to produce printables and paper. Other random supplies you might need include Perler beads, yarn, string, cardboard, paper plates, and boxes.
A few of these crafts will have special supplies not listed above, such as making slime.
Back-to-School Craft Ideas
1. Craft Stick Pencil Craft
Kids will love creating this large pencil, and you’ll love that it requires few materials. You’ll need yellow markers, four craft sticks or popsicle sticks, a pencil, several colors of cardstock, your trusty trio, and the pencil template.
Related craft: 30 Easy Crafts From Craft Sticks
2. Felt Apple Pencil Toppers
Pencil toppers can be fun to keep your kid cheerful while doing their work. These toppers can be made with a variety of materials and customizations. You’ll need felt, your craft trio, a pencil, and googly eyes.
Also, check out this apple bird feeder, this fun apple template, and apple crafts!
Transform your family’s mornings and evenings with our easy-to-use routine charts! Say goodbye to chaos and hello to calm, organized days. Grab our printable charts now and create a smoother, more enjoyable routine for your kids.
3. Kindness Pencil Toppers
These kindness pencil toppers are sure to make your kids make friends fast. Getting a kind message during the stress of school can make a kid’s bad day better. The simple craft is easy to do alone, or you can assist with writing the message if your child’s script isn’t easy to read yet.
4. Back to School Printable Matching Game
Printables are always great; you can print them at home whenever needed. This matching game can be great for homeschooled kids or as a project to get them excited about going back to school.
Other fun craft ideas:
- 19 Letter A Crafts for Preschoolers
- 16 Cute Turtle Crafts for Preschoolers and Beyond
- 17 Fun Crafts With Real Leaves You Need To Try This Fall
- 20 Festive Fall Nature Crafts for Kids
5. Back to School Themed How to Draw Printables
These how-to-draw printables are a great way to teach your kids how to follow directions and draw school-themed items like scissors, a bus, or a backpack. You can print them at home and watch your kids get creative.
6. Teacher Gift for Back-to-School
If your kids like to surprise their teachers with a gift on the first day, they’ll love creating these easy pencil vases. You’ll need a container like a 16 oz coffee or oatmeal can, four dozen wooden pencils, raffia, this printable, hot glue, and a hole punch.
7. Popsicle Stick Pencil Bookmark
This popsicle stick pencil bookmark is easy to create and fun to use. Once assembled, kids can customize it as they prefer. To create this project, you’ll need five popsicle sticks, a pen, pink and white cards, and Bostik Mirco dots.
8. Back to School Slime
If you have kids that love slime, they’ll enjoy making this school-themed gook. You’ll need clear glue, pieces of crayons, paper clips, erasers, a tablespoon of contact lens solution, water, and baking soda.
9. Unicorn Pencil Holder
This unicorn pencil holder will stun fantasy lovers with its theme and crafters with its ease of creation. You’ll need a metal pencil holder, craft felt, white twine, glitter foam sheets, a hot glue gun, scissors, and ribbon flowers.
10. Back to School Gnome
These school-themed gnomes are easy to make with colored construction paper or cardstock, this gnome template, scissors, and glue. Let your kids color the gnomes to their liking, cut, and paste. They make great decor pieces.
11. Adorable Crayon Box Craft
Kids will enjoy making this crayon box craft, whether they color, cut, or paste. It can also be a great way to teach your kids how to cut, assemble, and follow directions. If you want to do the assembly method, you’ll need scissors, glue, the crayon template, and colored paper.
12. School Bus Paper Craft
This simple printable paper craft is easy to assemble: cut the shapes from the template and glue them together. Kids can have fun coloring the sheets before cutting them out and giving their take on a school bus before school starts.
13. Printable Handprint School Crafts
Handprint crafts can be fun projects for kids of all ages, and you can do a lot of different things. Along with washable paint and brushes, wipes and a tablecloth can make cleanup faster. Print these back-to-school pages and let your kids have fun adding their handiwork.
14. School Themed Perler Beads
Perler bead crafts are great for older kids who like to color-match designs. These bead pattern sheets make it easy for your kids to create different school themes, like a bus, apple, pencil, and crayon. You may want to help with heating the beads to prevent injuries for younger children, but a Cricut Mini Press can make crafting easier.
15. Make an Apple Handprint Design
Apples are synonymous with school, making this apple handprint craft perfect for exciting your kids to get ready to go back to school. And what kid wouldn’t want to get their hands dirty? All you have to do is paint your kid’s hand red and green and press it onto paper.
16. Yarn-Wrapped Pencil Craft
This large yarn-wrapped pencil is easy to assemble. It uses cardboard, scissors, markers, a hot glue gun, and yarn in tan, yellow, gray, and pink. Then, you can cut out a pencil shape from the board and wrap it in the yarn.
By Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
17. Apple Marble Painting
Marble painting can be a fun project for kids to do with minimal supplies. You’ll need scissors, cardstock, washable paint, a box, glue, colored paper, and some marbles. Marbles can make interesting painting methods.
18. School Bus Paper Plate Craft
When your kids make this easy bus craft, they are sure to get excited about riding on the big yellow bus to school. You only need a paper plate, yellow craft paint, glue, and black paper.
When you are finished, check out our paper plate cat, cow, lion, bee, ladybug, and bear craft!
19. Printable Color Sheet Bus Paper Craft
This paper bus project is a perfect back-to-school project for preschoolers, helping them with their coloring and cutting skills. The only things you need for this paper craft are scissors, coloring tools (crayons or colored pencils), paper fasteners, and a printable bus template.
Must Read Back to School Books
Keep the fun going with these must-read back-to-school books. Reading aloud to kids has so many benefits, and the advantages of instilling a love for reading early on should not be overlooked.
The Night Before Kindergarten – Prepare for the first day of kindergarten with this fun and interactive story!
Time for School, Little Blue Truck – Follow along as the Little Blue Truck is excited to meet the bus on the road.
Get Kids Excited with Back-to-School Crafts
Explore these 19 engaging back-to-school crafts designed for young kids! These fun and creative back to school ideas are perfect for getting children excited about the new school year. From personalized pencil holders and colorful drawings to marble paintings and slime, each craft is easy to make and uses simple materials.
Whether for preschoolers or elementary school students, these crafts are ideal for enhancing creativity, fine motor skills, and back-to-school excitement. Dive in and discover step-by-step instructions to make the school year memorable and fun!
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Fun craft ideas:
