Lambton Family Hub

Forest Crafts

10 Simple Crafts to Make

Make something colourful with simple supplies and a little Lambton County inspiration. Pick a craft, gather what you need, and make it your own.

Before you start: Many of these use supplies you may already have, like glue, flour, salt, paper, cardboard, yarn, and washable paint. Ask an adult for help with scissors, slime activator, and anything that could irritate skin. Wash your hands when you finish.

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Blue fluffy cloud slime
Make20 minutes

Fluffy Cloud Slime

Make soft, blue slime that feels like a tiny cloud.

You need

  • ½ cup white school glue
  • About 2 cups white shaving foam
  • 2–3 drops blue food colouring
  • Slime activator, added a little at a time
  • A bowl and spoon

Easy steps

  1. Pour the glue into the bowl.
  2. Add the shaving foam and fold it together gently.
  3. Add two or three drops of blue food colouring.
  4. Add a small splash of slime activator and stir.
  5. Keep adding tiny amounts until the slime pulls away from the bowl.
  6. Knead it until it feels soft, fluffy, and stretchy.

Make it local: Use an all-in-one slime activator sold in Canadian craft and department stores.

Blue Water Bridge puffy-paint picture
Paint25 minutes

Blue Water Bridge Puffy-Paint Picture

Paint the two Blue Water Bridge spans with puffy, cloud-like paint.

You need

  • ¼ cup white school glue
  • ¼ cup white shaving foam
  • Blue food colouring
  • Dark blue or black cardstock
  • A small bowl and spoon
  • A paintbrush or cotton swab

Easy steps

  1. Mix the glue and shaving foam in a small bowl.
  2. Keep some paint white and colour a small amount blue.
  3. Paint water across the bottom of the cardstock.
  4. Paint one bridge with triangle shapes.
  5. Paint the second bridge with a large curved arch.
  6. Let the picture dry flat so the paint stays puffy.

Make it local: The real Blue Water Bridge has two spans with different shapes.

Lake Huron salt painting
Paint20 minutes

Lake Huron Salt Painting

Watch coloured water travel along salty glue waves.

You need

  • Cardstock or thick paper
  • White school glue
  • Table salt
  • Blue and green food colouring
  • Small cups of water
  • A paintbrush or dropper

Easy steps

  1. Use glue to draw waves across the paper.
  2. Cover the wet glue with salt.
  3. Gently shake the extra salt onto a plate.
  4. Mix a little water with blue or green food colouring.
  5. Touch the coloured water to the salt lines and watch it travel.
  6. Leave the picture flat until completely dry.

Make it local: Try several blues to match Lake Huron on different days.

Lambton salt-dough keepsakes
Make30 minutes + drying

Lambton Salt-Dough Keepsakes

Shape little fish, waves, beach stones, or lighthouses to keep.

You need

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup table salt
  • About ½ cup warm water
  • Food colouring or washable paint
  • A bowl
  • A drinking straw or toothpick

Easy steps

  1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
  2. Add warm water a little at a time until a dough forms.
  3. Roll or press the dough flat.
  4. Shape it into a fish, wave, beach stone, or little lighthouse.
  5. Make a hanging hole with a straw if you would like.
  6. Leave the pieces to air-dry for 24–48 hours, turning them once.
  7. Decorate the dry pieces with colour.

Make it local: Make shapes inspired by Lambton County’s beaches and waterfronts.

Lake-colour play dough
Make30 minutes

Lake-Colour Play Dough

Mix a few colours and make your own waves, boats, and lake creatures.

You need

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup table salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
  • About ½ cup warm water
  • Food colouring
  • A bowl and spoon

Easy steps

  1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
  2. Add the oil.
  3. Colour the warm water with a few drops of food colouring.
  4. Pour in the water a little at a time while stirring.
  5. Knead the dough until smooth.
  6. Add a little flour if it feels sticky.
  7. Make waves, boats, fish, or anything you imagine.

Make it local: Divide the dough before colouring it to make lake and sunset colours.

Grand Bend sunset scratch art
Art35 minutes + drying

Grand Bend Sunset Scratch Art

Scratch through black paint to reveal a bright Lake Huron sunset.

You need

  • White cardstock
  • Wax crayons in sunset colours
  • 2 tablespoons black washable paint
  • A few drops of dish soap
  • A paintbrush
  • A wooden toothpick or craft stick

Easy steps

  1. Fill the cardstock with thick layers of colourful crayon.
  2. Mix the black paint with a few drops of dish soap.
  3. Paint a thin black layer over all the crayon.
  4. Let it dry completely.
  5. Scratch through the black paint to reveal a sunset.
  6. Add waves, sun rays, or a small lighthouse silhouette.

Make it local: Grand Bend faces west, making it a favourite Lambton County sunset spot.

Lake Huron wave suncatcher
Make30 minutes

Lake Huron Wave Suncatcher

Build a paper wave that glows when the sun shines through it.

You need

  • Clear self-adhesive covering film
  • Blue, white, and beige tissue paper
  • Black construction paper
  • Scissors
  • String or yarn, optional

Easy steps

  1. Cut two matching pieces of clear film.
  2. Peel the backing from one piece and place it sticky-side up.
  3. Tear the tissue paper into small pieces.
  4. Arrange the pieces in a wave shape on the sticky film.
  5. Place the second piece of film on top and press it smooth.
  6. Cut a wave frame from black paper and attach it around the edge.
  7. Hang the wave in a bright window.

Make it local: Mix pale blue, deep blue, and white tissue to copy moving lake water.

Cardboard Blue Water Bridge
Build40 minutes

Cardboard Blue Water Bridge

Build two different bridge shapes over a blue cardboard river.

You need

  • Recycled cardboard
  • White school glue
  • Blue yarn
  • Crayons or washable paint
  • Scissors

Easy steps

  1. Cut a long cardboard base and colour the middle blue for the river.
  2. Cut two narrow cardboard strips for the bridge decks.
  3. Make triangle supports for one bridge span.
  4. Make a curved arch for the other span.
  5. Glue the bridge pieces above the river.
  6. Wrap or glue blue yarn onto the water to make waves.
  7. Leave the model flat until the glue dries.

Make it local: One real bridge span uses strong triangle shapes while the other has a curved arch.

Grand Bend lighthouse craft
Build35 minutes

Grand Bend Lighthouse

Make a little lighthouse with a bright light and blue waves.

You need

  • An empty toilet-paper roll
  • White, red, and black paper
  • Yellow tissue paper
  • A cardboard base
  • White school glue
  • Scissors
  • Blue crayons or paint

Easy steps

  1. Wrap the roll in white paper.
  2. Add two narrow red paper bands.
  3. Cut a small black paper roof and glue it on top.
  4. Add a yellow tissue-paper light below the roof.
  5. Glue the lighthouse to a cardboard base.
  6. Colour blue waves around the lighthouse.
  7. Let everything dry.

Make it local: The small white lighthouse at Grand Bend marks the harbour entrance beside Lake Huron.

Canatara pom-pom animals
Make30 minutes

Canatara Pom-Pom Animals

Turn yarn into a tiny owl, squirrel, or another Canatara Park animal.

You need

  • Brown, grey, or cream yarn
  • A small piece of recycled cardboard
  • White school glue
  • Small scraps of paper or felt
  • Scissors
  • Googly eyes, optional

Easy steps

  1. Cut two matching cardboard circles with a hole in the middle.
  2. Hold the circles together and wrap yarn around them many times.
  3. Cut the yarn around the outside edge.
  4. Tie a short piece of yarn tightly between the cardboard circles.
  5. Pull away the cardboard and fluff the pom-pom.
  6. Add paper ears, wings, a tail, or a beak.
  7. Create an owl, squirrel, or another Canatara Park animal.

Make it local: Make a second smaller pom-pom if your animal needs a head and body.

Did you make it?

We would love to see what you made. Send a photo to events@lambtonfamilyhub.ca.

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