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Free STEM Activities and Resources for Kids
4 min reads
Did you know that students who study art are four times more likely to earn academic honors? Arts and crafts have been around for centuries, and there are many different ways that you can make art. From scrapbooking and sewing to painting, sculpting, and drawing, there are infinite types of arts and crafts to enjoy, and you can explore from home. Also, if you look around your house, there are even free art supplies in your own pantries and drawers. All you need is a little creativity and some of our tips here.
One way to really enjoy and appreciate free arts and crafts is to get inspired by art from around the world! Instead of a shopping trip to the local crafts store, take a virtual field trip to some of the world's most famous art museums. These tours below can take you through museums and their collections without ever leaving home. Before you start one of your museum tours, gather the free art supplies almost every family already has at home (just some paper or cardboard plus pens, markers, crayons, or pencils you have around). Then get inspired by art from around the world to create your own masterpieces at home for free!
A fun way to engage with arts and crafts is to try some fun games and activities online that have a focus on art. Many of these activities are free online, so you’ll also get an inside look at different types of arts and crafts, provide some history, and allow you to make your own art.
Crafts give art a more creative dimension than just a flat image. These projects can decorate a room or an entire home and make for an out-of-the-box crafting experience. Sewing is a great way to teach kids practical skills and introduce them to creative crafting. You can hit up your larger craft and sewing stores like JOANN for beginner sewing kits, yarns, and supplies. Many of these larger stores also have great deals on fabric scraps to score a great bargain. Make sure to check out CouponFollow’s deals pages for each store to make sure you get the lowest prices as well. Or, if you want to know how to find free craft supplies, take a look at your local Facebook Market pages, or try Craigslist for people giving away crafting supplies and overstock for free. There are even free patterns for sewing online as well. Check out some of our resources for free sewing supplies and stores offering great deals below.
If you’re wanting to take up a sewing craft project, YouTube also has endless videos to show you how to start and also lots of projects to try. Free sewing craft resources and discounts for stores:
Free Craft Resources and Projects Online:
Drawing and painting are great options if an individual wants something quicker and easier to make at home. Even if it’s the most basic option in art, drawing and painting can still be complex and beautiful. And there are plenty of resources online to help young artists learn how to draw and paint. Your local Target, Walmart, and Michaels are some of the best stores to check out for drawing and artist supplies and even offer boxed projects with all supplies included. To save even more, try a local dollar store like Dollar Tree for tons of real bargains on everything from colored paper to markers and paints for just a few bucks. If you have a bigger budget, try shopping where the artists themselves go: Blick art supplies. You can even request a free Blick catalog with a ton of sales and coupons to use, and get inspired by all they have to offer.
Art supply stores with discounts:
Free Drawing and Painting Resources and Guides:
If you've thought about a career in the arts, you have many different options. There are plenty of resources to help determine what options are out there and what might be the best fit for each person.
Whether you’re just looking for fun activities for your little one or taking your own arts and crafts or other hobbies to the next level, there are a few great options to get supplies for yourself or your family on the cheap.
Hobby Lobby is home to thousands of Arts and Crafts supplies. Additionally, you can get supplies for other hobbies, including picture framing, jewelry making, sewing, scrapbooking and much more! They often offer free shipping and sometimes a 40% off Hobby Lobby coupon on any one regular-priced item, which is a code online or as a printable coupon for in-store use.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, a couple of other options are Michael's and JOANN Fabrics. These are both great options for scoring your arts and crafts supplies on the cheap. You can often find 20% to 50% off JOANN coupons (online and in-store), so we suggest not shopping without them (they come up almost all the time, so waiting is worth it).
Kohl's offers an Arts & Crafts section with hundreds of products from popular brands, including art supplies, crafts, kits, and more. From creative candle-making kits to letters, there are many fun kits available. The best part is that Kohl’s often has discounts available and even allows for stacking coupons. Most often, you can find 15% off, but sometimes up to 30% off, when entering a Kohl’s promo code during online checkout when shopping from your desktop or mobile device.
Target has a robust Arts & Crafts section where you can shop by age as well as by type. They also have a Kids' Crafts deals section and over 1000+ products for under $15 bucks. They offer craft kits art supplies, but also project ideas. To save at Target you can enroll in their RedCard (RedCard holders get 5 percent off both in-store and online orders when using the card). Additionally, you can save 10% to 20% off on various categories by using a Target promo code during checkout. Note that Target frequently changes its offers, and most only last a limited time.
Staples also has a pretty robust Arts & Crafts section with hundreds of items, including a wide assortment of kids' craft kits, games, and toys from popular brands like Melissa and Doug. Easily find supplies for painting, drawing, scrapbooking, and more. Often there is a 20% off Staples promo code available for a discount you can use online or in-store, so be sure to apply that before you checkout!
Got additional arts and crafts, virtual experiences, or other free educational resources for home learning that we haven't mentioned? If so, please get in touch and we'll consider adding to our list!
