With families staying home together right now, it’s a perfect moment to engage in some arts and crafts activities. We’ve put together this list of craft projects that can provide children with a tactile, engaged connection to the dharma.

Precious Human Birth

The Turtle Treasure Tray

This activity from Bodhi Kids invites children to explore the idea of life being precious and rare through a craft project and a parable about a turtle.

Sacred Space 

DIY Box Shrines

The Rubin Museum’s Teen Programs have been using the museum’s collection to explore ideas of mindfulness and protection. To connect these themes of safe and protective objects to their personal narratives, teens create their own portable safe spaces using cigar boxes. Learn how to make your own box shrine using recycled and other meaningful objects.

Make Your Own Prayer Flags

Prayer flags are believed to bring happiness, long life, and prosperity to those who create them. Each color has a special meaning: blue/space, white/air, red/fire, green/water, and yellow/earth. Tibetan prayer flags can even be made with classes or groups and hung together to create a fun and peaceful environment!

Global Cultures

Making Masks

This printable guide allows you to explore the power of masks.

Mindfulness

Mind Jars

This craft project is a very tangible way to give children (and adults!) an experience of mindfulness.

Iconography 

Making Clouds

A fun crafts project from The Rubin Museum of Art to teach kids about the iconography of clouds in Buddhist paintings.

Making Landscapes

A DIY art project to make a landscape from salt, water, a glass cup, and some paint!

Offering

Recycled Paper Beads

A DIY activity to turn used papers, magazines, and gift wrapping into cool beads for necklaces and bracelets.

Creativity

DIY Playdough

Kids love creating with playdough! Why not make it at home to add to the fun? Use ingredients that may already be available in your kitchen to put your own spin on this classic.

Making Representations of the Buddha

Origami Buddha on a Lotus

A lesson with everything needed to help children make an origami representation of the Buddha sitting on a lotus. Students can learn about and reflect on the significance of the Buddha and the Lotus, and set intentions to create paper models as offerings.

Craft activities from The Rubin Museum, Bodhi Kids, and MWE.