Children's Hospital

How to Help

Ideas for Activities and Crafts

For More Information

How you can help, contact the UMCH Child Life Program at 410-328-1241.

Thank you very much for your interest in providing crafts and diversional activities to our children and families at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital. All of the activities and crafts on our list can be mass produced and stored in individual plastic bags to hand out to children. The following list includes some ideas that we have found to work well with our children and with varying ages.

Pony Beads

Materials: pony bead patterns (an internet search will provide lots of these), a picture of the finished product, necessary beads and stringing medium (plastic cord, string, or wire)

Bead Craft

Materials: large holed beads for small children, plus pipe cleaner or new shoe strings for stringing

Picture Frames

Materials: craft sticks (about 20) for picture frames. Put sequins, fabric scraps, and glue in empty film containers for neat and easy storage. Another idea is to glue small, colorful puzzle pieces around the frame

Picture Frames 2

Materials: pre-cut frames out of Fun Foam, puffy paint, glue, sequins, fun foam scraps

Cross Stitch

Materials: cross stitch material (white or ivory; Aida 14 is the most common and 14 count is an easy fabric to start on), simple pattern (can be found online)/or graph paper to create your own, needle and thread

Door Signs

Materials: pre-cut plain door sign (like hotels use) with crayons or markers

Dream Catcher

Materials: dream catcher with yarn, string, beads and directions

Friendship Bracelets

Materials: directions, embroidery floss, and beads

Cards

Materials: blank greeting cards with small tip markers or colored pencils

Origami

Materials: origami kits with paper and directions

Playdoh

Materials: can of playdoh and a couple of cookie cutter shapes

Paper Bag Puppet

Materials: paper bag, markers, cutouts for hair, eyes, ears, tails or clothes, glue, feathers, felt, or other accessories

Stained Glass

Materials: scraps of tissue paper, glue and small plexiglass with rounded corners

Sticker Book

Materials: construction paper, markers, stickers

Flowers

Materials: colorful tissue paper and pipe cleaners

Wind Socks

Materials: construction paper, pre-cut streamers, glue stick, markers, string for hanging

Butterfly

Materials: zip-close bag, tissue paper, pipe cleaner

Directions:

Cut or tear various colors of tissue paper into ?" square. You can put some sheets of tissue paper in the bag and have the tearing be part of the craft.
Fill the zip-close bag with tissue squares (the more, the fuller the wings).
Zip the bag closed, pressing out some of the air.
Gather baggie in the middle with the zip close at the top.
Twist the 6" pipe cleaner in the middle of the gather to form a butterfly with antennae.
Curl the ends of the pipe cleaner for the antennas.

This page was last updated on: June 3, 2011.

For more information about UMCH or to make an appointment, please call 1-866-408-6885 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).