(Family Features) Colder temperatures mean more indoor time, making it a challenge to find activities that will keep kids happy and engaged. The good news for parents is that even common household items can create hours of fun time. These child-friendly arts and crafts projects will allow you to spend quality, memorable time with your family this winter season with things you already have around the house.

Arts and Crafts Ideas

With the most soft cotton at the tip*, Q-tips cotton swabs are gentle and safe for baby care and pet care; great for cleaning nooks and crannies in the house and for fixing makeup mishaps. They can also be used in a variety of craft projects. Use them to:

• Replace expensive paint brushes. Perfectly-sized for children's small hands, you can use a different cotton swab for each color and simply toss when finished.
• Apply glue to small areas on models and crafts. Use one tip to apply the glue and the other to remove any excess glue before it dries.
• Carve detailed designs into pottery. Moisten the tool to put the finishing touches on sculptures.
• Touch-up hard-to-reach areas on freshly painted model airplanes and cars - or even dollhouses.

Have fun with your family making this adorable snowman that's simple for children to create with a little help from mom or dad.

Cheery Snowman

Skill Level: Intermediate
Prep Time: 2 hours
Dry Time: 30 minutes

Materials:

• 1 Standard pack (500-count) of Q-tips cotton swabs
• 3 Styrofoam balls; 1 large, 1 medium, 1 small, (no smaller than 2 inches in diameter)
• 1 brown pipe cleaner
• 1 sheet wax paper
• 1 Popsicle stick or floral stake
• Child-safe scissors
• Child-safe, non-toxic black paint
• Child-safe, non-toxic orange paint

1. Have an adult cut the bottom off the largest Styrofoam ball, so the piece can lay flat upon a table or surface.
2. Using a Popsicle stick or floral stake, stack all three Styrofoam balls from largest at the bottom, to smallest at the top to form one standing figure.
3. Fold and twist 5 cotton swabs in half; dip 9 halves into the black paint and 1 into the orange paint. Lay flat on wax paper to dry.
4. Cut pipe cleaner in half; insert into sides of middle Styrofoam ball as arms.
5. Begin folding cotton swabs; insert into foam balls until completely covered.
6. Insert black cotton swabs into top ball for coal eyes and mouth. Insert orange cotton swab as the carrot nose.

Find step-by-step photos for this project, additional kid-friendly crafting ideas and household tips at www.qtips.com. Or, share your own tips or craft ideas at www.Facebook.com/qtips.

*From the end of the stick to the top of the swab.

Source

Q-Tips