Table Activity for Kids

When kids are stuck inside on a rainy day, table activities keep them interested and active while restraining them to one area of the home. These activities give them something to do and prevent them from simply watching television or playing video games. Choose table activities that allow the children to be creative and to have some fun even if they cannot run around outside.

Collage

Gather old magazines, glue, heavy paper and scissors. Allow the children to create their own works of art using pictures from the magazines. Ask them to create images related to how they see the world or how they see themselves. Encourage them to cover up the paper they are using as a base with images cut from the magazines. To add texture to the collages, give them scraps of paper and cloth from around the house to enhance the picture.

Paper Tabletop

Clear the table and cover it entirely with sheets of butcher paper that have been taped together. Give the children a set of crayons, markers or colored pencils and allow them to draw as they please. Tell them about things like cave paintings and tapestries, which created images that were meant to be large and visible. If they want a theme, consider having them illustrate an important event from history, or an event from your family's history. Afterward, carefully remove the paper from the table and hang it up in the child's room or in the hallway.

Make Your Own Crayons

Making your own multi-colored crayons is a great way to get rid of crayon scraps that tend to build up. Have your children carefully peel the paper from their crayon stubs. If the stubs are large, have them break the crayons into pieces that are roughly between 1 inch and 1 inch long. Place the crayons into a silicone cookie or candy mold, heating them in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for around 20 minutes or until the wax is completely melted. Take the trays out and allow them to cool. Afterward, the children can draw with their own multicolored crayons.

Cookie Decorating

Make a dozen round sugar cookies and allow the children to decorate them at the kitchen table. Show them how to smooth icing over the surface of the cookie for a base and how to pipe icing from a bag. Use a smooth, wet icing so that it flows easily, and show the children how to pipe solid lines, dashed lines and dots. Allow them to make their own designs, like stick figures or hearts. You may also show them how to write on the cookies with lines of frosting.