My six year old (now seven year old) really likes her kid's loom. FAO Schwartz, I think, but Melissa and Doug has one has well.

The pillows from the Orb Factory [may have been purchased by Plush Craft]

Mine made a painted rock garden. They collected a bunch of small rocks (2-4") from our yard. I gave them a big tub of soapy water to wash them - that alone was an hour of fun! Once they were dry, they painted them all with acrylic paint. Some were solid colors, but they painted some to look like flowers, ladybugs or bees. Gave them a special spot in the corner of a garden bed. Every couple of days they paint another rock to add to their garden.

For the 7 year old, one of those fake pot holder looms. I've not had a 5 year old in my house do one independently, but I have had them try.

+1 rainbow loom, perler beads (maybe the Biggie beads for the 5 year old, depending on manual dexterity), Lite Brite, sticker mosaic (my kids especially love the kind you can hang on a window).

Similar to the burlap suggestion above, I got a plastic canvas and some laces (yarn and plastic needles work too) and my kids "embroider" designs on it.

If they can sew, Melissa and Doug has cool sewing kits using wood boards my 5 year old can do partially by herself. 8 year old can sew using the stuffed animal kits that are all over amazon, but needs some level of supervision.

1x on perler beads-- we've been doing them every day.

Coloring pages-- print them for free online (Crayola has them on their website)

Rainbow loom

Recycling-- keep things like toilet and paper towel rolls, tissue boxes, amazon boxes...and then challenge them to build things. "Work together to build a robot" or let them create their own things.

Lightbright

If you get some burlap, yarn, and plastic needles, they can embroider their own designs.

If you have big pieces of paper (even wrapping paper), they can trace each other than each do a life size portrait

If you have brown paper lunch bags, they can make puppets.

If you have small cleaned out containers or boxes, they can tape/glue a make believe city on a piece of cardboard.

Simple origami kit, with video instructions if needed.

Light table for tracing pictures: https://www.amazon.com/Crayola-Light-up-Tracing-Coloring-Board/dp/B0084JUNXS. It will come with some stuff to trace, and you can print more from their website. Ours had a horse with different manes and tails and saddles, and I think a fashion runway with hairstyles and clothes. We printed some animals and stuff, too.

My daughter has never been much of an artist (she gets that from me!) and gets frustrated with drawing pretty quickly, but she had hours of fun with this because she could actually be successful and have her creation look great. And even after she outgrew the projects it came with, she used it for school projects, lettering, all kinds of stuff. Doesn't take up much space, either.

Agreed, my 6 year old son loves the "paint by sticker" books. He's also big into Perler Beads and will make elaborate creations if we print him patterns off the internet.

Anonymous wrote:What kind of crafts can a 5 and 7 year old do independently? We have drawing, beads, water colors and collage stuff. If I get them started, they can sew for a bit. I've been looking at some of the other kits online. Basically just looking for something that they can work on by themselves that will keep them occupied for an hour or so. What have your kids liked?

DD loved the sticker mosaics kits at those ages..

What kind of crafts can a 5 and 7 year old do independently? We have drawing, beads, water colors and collage stuff. If I get them started, they can sew for a bit. I've been looking at some of the other kits online. Basically just looking for something that they can work on by themselves that will keep them occupied for an hour or so. What have your kids liked?