Are you looking for more ways to encourage imaginative play in your kids? Sometimes our kids become so inundated with toys, their imagination muscles get weak and boredom skyrockets. A few key toys, like these DIY mermaid and narwhal hand puppets, are perfect for encouraging play without the avalanche of stuff in their bedrooms.

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Collage of Hand puppets on wood background with text overlay: DIY Mermaid and Narwhal Hand Puppets

[bctt tweet=”Does it feel like your kids have a million toys but are always bored? These DIY mermaid and narwhal hand puppets encourage play without the toy avalanche. ” username=”diyadulation”]

I honestly believe in the power of imagination. Not only for kids, but for adults as well. Imaginative people are the problem solvers.

These are the people who can cope with difficulties because they have creative solutions. Imagination is what creates awesome stories like Harry Potter. I want my kids to grow up with as much imaginative power as possible.

That’s why I will always make fun toys for them like these DIY mermaid and narwhal hand puppets.

Hand puppets on wood background

Materials for DIY Mermaid and Narwhal Hand Puppets

Teal and Blue Silicon Potholders (I found mine at Dollar Tree but here are similar ones)
Scissors
Yarn (similar)
Small Notebook
E6000
Glitter Pompoms in Various Sizes
Hot Glue Gun and Glue
Silver Glitter Foam (I used the one from this pack)
Assorted Googly Eyes

mermaid hand puppet

Mermaid Hand Puppet

teal potholder next to scissors

Step 1

First, remove all of the tags from your potholders.

Notebook and skein of yarn

Yarn Wrapped Around the Notebook

Step 2

Next, pull out your skein of yarn and wrap the end around a small notebook 10-20 times.

Yarn wrapped around a notebook

Step 3

Cut the end of the yard still attached to the skein.

Step 4

Then cut a second small piece of yarn from your skein.

Yarn wrapped around a notebook

Step 5

Tie the small piece of yarn around your wrapped yarn as pictured.

Yarn wrapped around a notebook

Tied together strands of yarn next to a pair of scissors

Step 6

Next, cut through your wrapped yarn on the opposite side of your notebook.

dot of glue on a potholder next to strands of yarn

yarn glued to teal potholder

Step 7

Put a dab of E6000 on the top center of your potholder and attach your yarn.

teal potholder next to googly eyes

mermaid hand puppet

Step 8

Lastly, glue on 2 googly eyes toward the opening of the potholder. See the picture above for reference.

Note:

I chose the googly eyes with eyelashes for a more girly look.

blue narwhal hand puppet

Narwhal Hand Puppet

small sparkly pompoms

glued together sparkly pompom

Step 1

Start by hot gluing 4 pompoms together, with the largest on the bottom and the smallest on top.

pompom on a blue potholder

Step 2

Next, glue the pompom “horn” to the top center of the potholder with E6000.

Tip:

I definitely recommend using a blue potholder for this one. It makes the puppet look more like a whale.

blue potholder next to googly eyes

blue narwhal hand puppet

Step 3

Then, choose 2 googly eyes for your narwhal and glue them to the potholder with E6000.

Note:

I chose a smaller size for this puppet because I thought it looked adorable. The eyes are also yellow which contrasts nicely with the blue potholder.

Step 4

Set your puppet to the side and pull out a piece of silver glitter foam.

small piece of glitter foam next to a pair of scissors

Step 5

Next, cut a tongue out of the silver glitter foam.

blue narwhal hand puppet

Step 6

Lastly, use E6000 to glue your tongue into the opening of the potholder (where the pot would go).

Now your kids will be ready for all of their undersea adventures with these DIY mermaid and narwhal hand puppets! Even better, you can breath easier without all of those toys cluttering up your home. Come back later this month to find out how to make this fun Mad Scientist Hand Puppet! Until then, the the pretend play begin.

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Collage of Hand puppets on wood background with text overlay: DIY Mermaid and Narwhal Hand Puppets

More Ideas You’ll Love:

Have you seen the painted rock craze? There are so many fun ideas out there and kids love getting set loose to paint. Instead of the traditional painted rocks ideas, let’s take it a step further with this DIY painted canvas play set!

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

Child painted canvas and rocks with text overlay: DIY Painted Canvas Play Mat

[bctt tweet=”Take your next rock painting craft day to the next level with this DIY painted canvas play set!” username=”diyadulation”]

Although Jude is on vacation this week, I’m still sharing a fun kid’s craft with you. I’m especially excited about this one because my 5 year old daughter came up with this all on her own. The creativity of my kiddos seriously blows me away.

Last week I set the kids loose with paint and rocks. We all sat at the table painting together and it was a blast! So much so, the older 2 didn’t want to stop painting after their rocks were done.

Instead of calling it quits and cleaning up, I gave them some canvases and let them keep going. When they finished, my daughter showed me this awesome project that I simply had to share with you!

Materials

Step 1

First, fill a paint palette with multiple colors.

Note:

The colors you use do not matter. I tend to keep primary colors as well as black and white on hand so that is what we used.

Child painted Canvas

Step 2

Next, have your child paint any scene on the canvas. This can literally be anything (s)he wants. My daughter went with a house and a lawn.

Step 3

Set the canvas to the side to dry.

Clean rock with paintbrush

Step 4

While the canvas dries, give your kid 3 to 4 clean rocks to paint.

Child painted rocks

Step 5

Have her paint the rocks to coordinate with the scene she painted on the canvas. For example, my daughter painted a person, a flower, and a sun.

Tip:

This gets messier than the canvas painting so you may want to place a piece of newspaper on the table before unleashing your kids with the rocks and paint.

Child painted rock

Step 6

After she has finished painting her rocks, set them aside to dry completely before moving on.

Step 7 (Optional)

Once the painted rocks have dried, cover them with acrylic sealant in a well-ventilated area. Then set them aside to dry again.

Note:

This step is totally optional but it will make the painted rocks more durable and long lasting for play.

Child painted canvas and rocks

How much fun is this DIY painted canvas play set? My daughter loves playing pretend house with it just like it is a dollhouse. Seriously adorable. Your kiddos can create whatever scene they want which is what makes it so fun.

We used a small canvas but it would be awesome with a larger one (which I think we’ll try next). Your kids can create an entire world to play in with their painted rocks. This will keep them entertained long enough for you to enjoy a cup of coffee and a shower this summer. Score!

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Child painted canvas and rocks with text overlay: DIY Painted Canvas Play Mat

More Ideas You’ll Love:

Popsicle Stick Army Men
Fun and Glittery DIY Notebook
Easy Fun Summer Crafts and Activities for Kids
Kids Summer Memory Book – Cookies, Coffee, and Crafts

Summertime fun doesn’t all happen outdoors. Some days the weather isn’t cooperating and other days you just need some time in the air conditioning. On those days, cool down inside and stretch your brains. This free printable summer Scattergories game is the perfect way to do that.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

Collage of Summer Scattergories Game Laid Out with text overlay: Free Printable Summer Scattergories Game

[bctt tweet=”Cool down inside and stretch your brains with this free printable summer Scattergories game!” username=”diyadulation”]

As an word-nerd I have always loved Scattergories. It encourages creative thinking, handwriting practice, vocabulary knowledge, and spelling. These are skills that can decline in kids over summer. This game is a fun way to prevent summer slide as a family!

Materials

Scattergories Game
Free Printable Summer Scattergories Game
Scissors

Step 1

Before you can play this game, you need to have the existing Scattergories game. If you don’t already own it, grab one on Amazon now.

Printed Scattergories Game Card with scissors on top

Step 2

Next, you need to print out 4 copies of the free printable summer Scattergories game sheets. I recommend printing them on cardstock so that they are more durable.

Cut out summer Scattergories cards

Step 3

After your game sheets are printed, cut out your cards.

Summer Scattergories Game Laid Out

Step 4

Then group your cards together so that each player has one of each card.

Note:

The printable includes 2 bonus blank cards. You can personalize these for your family by filling in each line with fun categories about your summer.

Step 5

Lastly, use the cards in place of the cards that come with your Scattergories game for family fun all summer long!

Summer Scattergories Game Laid Out

Storage

When you’re done playing, clip your cards together and throw them in the box with your game. This makes it easy to find them when you want to play the next time.

We are so excited for a new expansion to our Scattergories game! This free printable summer Scattergories game will keep your kids sharpening their skills while having fun at the same time.

What other fun ways do you prevent summer slide on school break? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

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Collage of Summer Scattergories Game Laid Out with text overlay: Free Printable Summer Scattergories Game

More Ideas You’ll Love:

Free Printable Christmas Scattergories Game
75 Screen Free Summer Activities for Kids
DIY Giant Backyard Frisbee Tic-Tac-Toe Game
35 Family Friendly Games for Kids & Grown Ups – Intelligent Domestications