10 Fun DIY Crafts for Kids

Here are 10 DIY ideas for the Mara and Jake coloring books to make them more engaging and interactive:

1. Coloring Book Cover Customization Kit

• Provide a blank cover template for kids to decorate their own coloring book cover. Include printable stickers, templates for drawing their names, and fun patterns that they can color and personalize.

2. Color Your Own Bookmarks

• Create printable bookmarks with Mara and Jake designs. After coloring, kids can cut them out, laminate them (using clear tape or laminating sheets), and use them to mark their place in the coloring book or any other book they’re reading.

3. Interactive Cut-Out Puppets

• Include pages with Mara, Jake, and other characters that kids can color, cut out, and then attach to popsicle sticks or paper straws to create their own puppets. Encourage kids to use these puppets to tell stories inspired by the coloring book.

4. DIY Sticker Sheets

• Provide printable sheets with small, simple images from the Mara and Jake world that can be colored and then turned into stickers using adhesive paper or sticker machines. Kids can use these stickers to decorate their books, notebooks, or even their rooms.

5. Puzzle Pages

• Add a few pages that can be colored and then cut into puzzle pieces. Include simple designs or scenes that can be transformed into 4-12 piece puzzles. This allows kids to enjoy a new way of interacting with their coloring pages.

6. Pop-Up Pages

• Design special pages that can be colored, cut, and folded to create pop-up elements, like a magical tree or a creature from the Magical Forest. Provide easy instructions on how to cut, fold, and glue the pieces to create a 3D pop-up effect.

7. Magic Scratch Art Pages

• Include black pages with hidden designs that reveal themselves when kids color over them with white crayons or special scratch tools. These designs could include magical creatures or hidden messages from Mara and Jake.

8. Create Your Own Story Page

• Provide blank comic strip pages or lined pages for kids to write and illustrate their own short stories or adventures involving Mara, Jake, and the other magical creatures. Encourage creativity and storytelling.

9. DIY Magical Creature Masks

• Provide templates of different characters (like SnowPaw, Baby Dee Dee, or Birdie) that kids can color, cut out, and turn into masks. Use elastic strings or yarn to create fun wearable masks for imaginative play.

10. Mara and Jake Treasure Hunt

• Create a treasure map that kids can color and follow. Include clues or tasks (like coloring specific pages or solving puzzles) that lead to a “hidden treasure” – a fun reward that could be another special coloring page or a secret message from Mara and Jake.

These DIY activities will not only make the Mara and Jake coloring books more interactive but will also encourage creativity, storytelling, and imagination!