Easy art and craft activities to keep your child busy during summer holidays

Here are expert and parent-approved ways to help your child get creative and keep boredom away during the summer holidays

School's over! So parents, here’s your arsenal of activities to keep your child engaged, occupied and happy. Because we all know that matching the energy levels of a kid during summer holidays is no easy task. Keeping up with her daughter Kyrah Braganza’s curiosity and creativity, Meryl Remedios, artist at @theturquoisebrushin shares her top art and craft activities for summer 2023.

Meryl’s suncatcher

For ages: 7 to 9 years
Learn: How sunlight appears when passing through various material
Material
>> Cardboard >> Various colours of kite paper >> Thick string >> Scissors >> Glue
Method
Create the silhouette of any shape you like with cutouts inside it for light to pass through. This can be a butterfly with patterns cut out from the wings or a 
simple square frame. Allow your child to cut long small strips of kite paper and stick them across the cutout holes of the cardboard design. Punch a hole in the frame and hang it near the window for light to pass.

Kyrah’s butterfly garden

For ages: 4 to 6 years
Learn: Cultivate your child’s imagination and art skills
Material
>> Raw Farfalle pasta  >> Paints and brushes >> Paper >> Glue
Method
Paint the pasta in various colours. Paint a garden scene on paper. You can stick scrap cotton for clouds and foraged leaves on the paper too. Then glue your pasta and draw butterfly antennae. Your garden is ready!

Over the rainbow

For ages: 4 to 6 years and 7 to 9 years
Learn: How to develop your child’s dexterity and colour coordination through immersive play activities
Material
>> Thick paper or cardboard >> Colourful sequence >> Buttons >> Stickers >> Pompoms >> Old and tiny toys >> Magazine cutouts >> Scissors >> Glue
Method
Create a cutout of a rainbow silhouette, and stick it on a large sheet of paper. Let your young one glue the colourful material to the rainbow cutout. Older kids can separate the material in colour-coordinated jars and stick the sequence, buttons, and toys based on the colours of the rainbow.

Mini chef’s corner

Head chef and proprietor, chef Mahek Mandlik, notes the importance of learning cooking skills from a young age and the benefit of teaching basic recipes so that kids have the confidence to build on them and create dishes and flavours they like. “Start with food that kids like to eat so that instead of ordering unhealthy food, they can make the same thing at home in a healthier way,” Mandlik adds. Pasta isn’t just easy for kids to make, it’s also a satisfying meal. Preparing it will help your kids become a little more independent.

Pasta magic

Ingredients
>> Six tomatoes, pureed >> ¼ cup finely chopped onions >> Four garlic cloves, chopped >> ¼ tsp red chili flakes >> ¼ dried oregano>> 1/8 tsp ground pepper >> Two tbsp olive oil >> 10 gm celery>> Salt to taste >> Two to three tbsp ketchup >> Two cups penne pasta, boiled
Method
Heat two tbsp olive oil in a deep saucepan (since the sauce will splatter while cooking) over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook until the onions are translucent. Pour in tomato puree. Mix and cool for five minutes, and keep stirring at intervals. Add red chili flakes, celery and dried oregano. Stir and cook for eight to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add ground pepper, salt and ketchup. Stir and cook for a minute. Turn off the heat. The Arabiata sauce is ready. In a saucepan, sauté garlic and onion over medium flame till the onion turns translucent. Add Arrabiata sauce and mix. Next, add the pasta. Cook for  three minutes. Your dish is done.

Plating tips: By using garlic toast, boiled vegetables, olives for eyes, cheese strips for whiskers and tomato for the mouth, you can create animal faces on the pasta.

Colour the sky

For ages: 4 to 6 years
Learn: Colour coordination
Material
>> Thick paper or cardboard
>> Colourful pom-poms
>> Wooden stationery clips
>> Paint >> Scissors
Method
Create a cutout of a hot air balloon and stick it on a large sheet of paper. Fasten the pom-poms on the wooden stationery clips. Keep paints the same colour as the pom-poms ready. Get your child to paint the hot air balloon by matching the colours of the pom-poms and the paint.

Kiddie time

>> Culinary class - learn burgers, pizza, nachos, and sauces
On: May onwards; 2 pm to 5 pm 
At: Mahek’s Atelier, A/22 Krystal Avenue, Lokhandwala Market, Andheri West
Log on to: maheksatelier.com
Call: 7400147000 
Cost: Rs 3,500

>> Parkour time
On: April 24 to 30; also every Saturday and Sunday; 4 pm to 5 pm 
At: Mumbai Movement Academy, Veera Desai Road, Andheri West. 
Log on to: mumbaimovementacademy.com
Call: 9819170899 
Cost: Rs 4,000 

>> Summer camp with games, craft and educational activities (ages 3 to 12 years in two batches)
On: April 24 to 28; May 1 to 5; May 8 to 12
At: Gofigure Fitness, Sunder Nagar Road, Kalina, Santacruz East
Log on to: gofigurefitness.co.in
Call: 9619417141
Cost: Rs 3,500

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