You may want to spend as much time as you can outdoors in the spring, but sometimes the weather has different plans. When the rain cancels your outside activities, there are many fun crafts you can try out instead. Here are five ideas for rainy-day crafts that use simple household materials and are great for all ages.

Coffee Filter Umbrellas

What’s more fitting for a rainy day than an umbrella craft? All you need for this little project is some large white coffee filters, pipe cleaners, a stapler, scissors, and markers.

To make an umbrella, simply fold a coffee filter in half along the centre and use one staple to hold it together. Paint or draw any design you like, then cut a pipe cleaner in half and curve the end to make the umbrella handle. Staple the handle to the coffee filter to finish the umbrella!

Coffee Filter Butterflies

There’s a lot you can do with a coffee filter! This craft makes beautiful butterflies like the ones you’ll start seeing around the garden in the spring. It uses pipe cleaners, clothespins, markers, and scissors.

Start by decorating the coffee filter with markers in any design the kids prefer. Then, lay it in a flat dish and spray it with some water so that the colours run. Once it is dry, scrunch it in the middle to make two “wings” and secure it with a clothespin for the butterfly’s body. Cut a small piece of pipe cleaner, bend it into a “V” shape, and slide it into the clothespin to make antennae for a finishing touch.

Paper Plate Flowers

Making flowers out of paper plates is another timely springtime craft. After all: “April showers bring May flowers.” Just gather up some paper plates, crafts sticks, green construction paper, scissors, glue, and paint.

Use the scissors to cut slits around the perimeter of the plate and make the individual flower petals. Paint the plate to look like a flower and paint the crafting stick green. Cut two leaves from the green construction paper as well. Finally, glue the leaves onto the craft stick and the end of the stick onto the back of the plate. Fold the petals in different directions for extra effect!

Paper Bag Bunny Puppets

There is no animal more symbolic of spring than the rabbit. These little critters are hopping around everywhere, and you can make your very own out of a paper bag. You also need some pink and brown construction paper, markers, scissors, glue, and googly eyes.

First, cut two long and rounded pieces of brown construction paper for the ears, two slightly smaller pink pieces for the inner part of the ears, a small pink triangle for the nose, and a large pink circle for the belly. With the bag opening down, glue all the pieces on the corresponding parts of the rabbit. Then, glue on the eyes and draw on the mouth and whiskers. Have your child put their arm in the bag and use it as a puppet!

Rainy days don’t have to be dull. A few fun crafts will keep the kids entertained and occupied until the rain clears up. Just make sure you’ve got the right materials on hand, and you’ll be all set when the clouds start gathering.