• Paper crafts are excellent for small children who are learning about shapes.paper craft people image by Brent Walker from Fotolia.com
  
  Children's paper activities encourage kids to design creative objects, landscapes and other crafts. Scrapbook layouts teach children how to balance a page by arranging the photos in a particular order and then decorating the page with a title and embellishments. Puppets and simple paper crafts are also imaginative projects for kids of all ages.
  
  

Small Book

• Buy thick card stock paper in pink, blue, green and red. Cut the card stock into 5-inch-by-7-inch sheets and line up five or more pieces of paper. Show the children how to use a hole punch to make three holes on the left hand side. Use yarn to string through the holes and hold the papers together. Ask the kids to cut different shapes out of construction paper. They can also cut pictures out of magazines if they like. Encourage the kids to create a story with pictures, or create a general picture book that names the object in the picture at the bottom of the page. Adjust this craft for the children's age group. Older children can create an elaborate story while small kids name shapes and animals. Give the kids markers or crayons so they can write the names of the objects or their story at the bottom of each page.
  
  

Bean Decor

• Simple bean paper crafts are best suited for small children who are just starting to work with paper, however, older kids can make more detailed designs with bean crafts so encourage all the kids to participate. Adjust the craft for the age group. Buy dried, hardened lentils, kidney beans, garbanzo beans and thick colorful card stock paper. Show the kids how to make a heart, circle or other shape with beans and help them glue the beans on the paper. Older kids can create patterns with different colored beans. For instance, you can show the kids how to use dark kidney beans to create a large heart and glue smaller green lentils inside the larger heard to make another smaller heart. Continue adding layers until you have a heart made entirely of beans. The kids can also spell their name with beans. Allow the glue to dry before handing the children's creations on the wall.
  
  

Paper Family Tree

• A paper family tree is a simple craft for children of all ages. You can modify this craft to make it easier for small children. Give the children a blue piece of thick card stock. Help them cut out a tree trunk and branches with construction paper. The kids can also draw the tree trunk on the page if they prefer. Cut leaves out of light and dark green construction paper. Tell the kids to glue the leaves on the branches of the tree. Allow the glue to dry until the leaves are in place. Then show the kids how to write names of their family members on the leaves. Older kids can glue small cut out pictures of family members on the leaves, or create a more detailed drawing with flowers and other plants in the background.