Contributed by Aurora LaJambre, Catalogs.com Info Guru

There’s a universal secret about crafts that children are not meant to know. If there are children around, please guard this secret with all of your might and main: crafts are educational.

Kids learn about color and observation, creative use of materials and the art of perseverance. Crafts don’t always come out as we envision them in our heads.

Got a few hyper children in the room? Set them down with one of these top 10 craft ideas for kids.

10. Painting on Paper Plates

Challenge kids to take an ordinary object like a paper plate and turn it into something special. All you need are a few paper plates, kids’ scissors, and crayons or paints. Grab some glue, pom poms and glitter if you want to get fancy. Demonstrate the possibilities by cutting out the center and making a reef, attaching over-sized ears to the top for a rabbit, or painting a flower and attaching a green pipe cleaner to the bottom for the stem.

9. Macaroni boxes

Kids hoard all things tiny, it’s their nature. They pocket figures, toys, beads, and loose buttons like there’s no tomorrow. Not only are kids in perpetual need of cute containers to store their treasures in, they love the idea of giving these gems a second life. Have them paint a plain wood box their favorite color, and show them how to glue beads and buttons to the outside of the box. Macaronis are an inexpensive material they can use to add texture and shape to their design.

8. Masks

Masks are a popular craft idea for kids because it gives them something to wear and play with after. You can print butterfly, owl and other animal mask outlines for free at freefunfings.com (pictured above). Have kids color their masks, and then cut out the eyeholes. Glue the mask on a piece of construction paper for extra support. Tie a string to the ends so kids can wear them around their head. Masks don’t have a long shelf life so kids are almost always up to make a new one.

7. Melted bead necklace

Here’s one craft idea for kids that entails your help. Kids choose an animal or insect to make. Butterflies, flowers or their pets are good inspirations. They draw their design with melting beads. Remove one bead near the top of the piece, but not on the end. Your job is to melt the beads together by pressing a hot iron on top for a few seconds. The hole from the missing bead is where you thread a string or piece of yarn to turn the melted bead design into a necklace one the pendant cools.

6. Scrapbook pages

Kids may not be ready commit to making a full scrapbook, but letting them make a page for your scrapbook let’s them feel included. Show them a few of the pages you’ve made and the different scrapbook materials they can use. Let them choose from a few photos and help them pick a theme for their page if they feel stuck.

5. Wind socks

Windsocks are colorful outdoor decorations kids love to make because they’re simple, colorful and fast. Color a piece of construction paper in a pattern of stripes, polka dots or hearts. Add glitter or confetti as desired. Roll the paper in a large cylinder and staple or glue the ends together. Attach streamers to the bottom. Punch two opposite holes at the top and thread a string for hanging.

4. Greeting cards

Why buy a card when you have an eager little card-making machine at home? For birthdays, holidays and special occasions, encourage your kids to make a card for someone special. Fold a piece of construction paper in half or smaller if you plan to mail the card. Remind them to leave enough room for a message on the inside and have them go to town.

3. Collages

Collages are popular craft ideas for kids. They get to make a mess – a constructive, always-interesting to look at mess. They get to cut out images from old magazines and newspapers, add their own art work and glue on as many embellishments as they please. Gather your art supplies and let their imaginations go! They can give the collage a title if it tells a story, choose a holiday theme, or make a self portrait collage to share facts about themselves.

2. Name signs

For many kids, the most beautiful word in the entire world is their own name. They get a kick out of plastering it on everything. Have them create a name sign for their bedroom. Use poster board or a small piece wood if you have any laying around. Sand it down so it’s nice and smooth. Kids can paint their names an add embellishments or simply write “[Their name]’s Room” in big bold letters.

1. Gingerbread cookies

Even adults know there is no craft more rewarding than that which you get to eat afterwards. Bake sugar or gingerbread cookies in the shape of people. Set out chocolate or butterscotch chips for eyes, icing for clothes, m&ms for buttons or any other small candies you have around. They can make self-portrait cookies or a cookie modeled after every member of the family.

Crafts don’t always come out as we envision them in our heads. Through crafts, kids learn to keep trying until they figure out how to glue macaroni to the box and not their fingers. They learn how to concentrate before even knowing what concentration is. They’re also lots of fun.