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Styrofoam Crafts for Kids

You'll treasure these made-by-kids plastic foam crafts not only because they're adorable but because of the quality time you spent making them together.

Cute Bedbugs

These mild-mannered bedbugs certainly don't bite -- your kids will befriend them in no time.

Make It: Begin by cutting two 1-1/2-inch plastic foam balls in half using a serrated knife. Have your kids paint the halves with acrylic paint. Decorate the bugs with chenille stem legs and antennae, translucent paper wings, and googly eyes. Invent your own bugs or use the following suggestions:

Beetle
Paint the head and body area different colors, painting small dots onto the body section. Glue on googly eyes and add black chenille stems for antennae.

Bumblebee
Paint the body black and let dry. Paint orange or yellow stripes across the back. Insert a short black chenille stem into the end of the bee for a stinger. Add wings by cutting a heart shape from paper, folding it in half, and pushing it into a slit cut into the top of the body. Add two black chenille stem antennae, three black chenille stem legs on each side, and googly eyes.

Mosquito
Paint the body and add wings as directed in the Bumblebee project. Add three black chenille stem legs on each side and a short black chenille stem for the proboscis.

Bonus: Make a Bug Bed!
Have your kids paint a recycled egg carton using various colors of acrylic crafts paint. Add small squares of fabric into each depression to make a cozy bed for each bug. Then let your little ones tuck in their new bug friends and wish them pleasant dreams.

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