Tuesday marks the official start of summer, and when Hermosa View and Valley students will no longer have school to keep them occupied.

No matter how well you have planned out activities to keep the kids busy, inevitably someone will get bored.

I put together a list of some of my favorite go-to crafts for kids that recycle and repurpose things you may already have in the house:

Make crayons

Collect the left-over, broken bits of old crayons to help the kids make new ones. 

Have the kids prepare the crayons by peeling off the paper, then sort them into a molding tray by color. You can use any mold (I have an old heart-shaped silicone mold that I no longer use for food.)

We like to throw in a few lighter colors like white or yellow to give the finished crayon some swirl.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees, and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes (times vary) or until mostly melted, checking on them frequently so they don’t smoke.

Remove from oven and let cool.

When the wax hardens, the new and improved crayons will pop right out of the mold and be ready for coloring. 

Magazine collage

Let the kids cut out pictures from magazines and glue onto card stock or construction paper—the finished collages can decorate a play room or their bedrooms.

Button bracelet

I use spare buttons that come with the clothes we buy to make fun jewelry with the kids.

Weave a piece of elastic threading through the buttonholes until you have the size you want. Finish the bracelet by tying the ends together. 

Edible jewelry

Using licorice laces, the kids slide on cereal like Cheerios or Fruit Loops, for an edible necklace or bracelet.