Help your kids get in the Canada Day spirit with one of festive crafts!

Searching for ways to up the festive factor of Canada Day? Check out these easy and fun kid-friendly crafts:

Canada Day Pin wheel
What you'll need:
Paper
Glue
Desired materials for decorations
Scissors
Straight pin (or push pin)
Pencil with an eraser on top (or a length of dowel)

Instructions:
• Cut out a square from a piece of construction pape. Make it festive by decorating it with Canada Day themes (such as maple leaves), or glue a piece of red construction paper to a piece of white paper, so the two colors will be displayed on your craft.

• Fold one corner to its opposite corner in order to make a crease, unfold, and then take another corner and fold it to its opposite to make another crease. When you unfold it again you should have two creases on your paper that form an X.

• Cut along each of the four crease about three-quarters of the way to the centre. Bend – do not fold, just a gentle bend – one of the cut corners to the centre. Leave the next corner and then bend the one after that to the centre. Alternate like that until four cut corners are gathered at the centre.

• Place the eraser of the pencil at the back of the centre point.

• Take a straight pin and stick it through the gathered corners into the pencil eraser (you can also do this by gently hammering a push pin into a dowel or any wooden type material that can serve as your handle).

(Need a table decorator for Canada Day? Check out our Family Craft: Canada Day bird and get crafty!)

Wind tube
What you’ll need:
Paper
Glue (or tape or staples)
Hole punch (or anything that can help you punch through paper)
String
Ribbon
Hook (or anything that you can hang the tube from)
Bells (optional)

Instructions:
• Using construction paper, Bristol board, or foam, form a cylinder. Before you fasten it with glue, decorate your paper.

• Punch two to four holes on the top edge of the cylinder and then weave string, twine or ribbon through the holes to make a handle. You can either hang your tube by this handle or you can tie an additional length of string to the handle and fasten the other end of that string to your hook.

• Punch holes along the bottom edge of the cylinder and tie red and white ribbons through those holes – these ribbons will blow in the wind.

• If desired, attach bells to the ribbon, for a chime effect.

(Looking to bake a delicious treat for the holiday? Here's our special Canada Day Cake recipe.)

Tea light holder
What you'll need:
Scissors
Fabric (optional, see note below)
White glue
Paintbrush (optional)
Glass baby jar
Tea light candles
Glitter

Instructions:
• Cut out Canada Day themed objects from scraps of fabric.

• Glue your fabric to the outside of the clear jar (remember to completely cover the back of the fabric with glue so the edges don't curl up). If desired, brush glue all over the surface of the jar with a paintbrush, including the fabric (but not the bottom of the jar!), then sprinkle the with glitter.

• Place your tea light inside its new holder and watch it glow.

Note: This a very flexible craft. You do not even have to use fabric, simply apply glue to the surface of the jar and sprinkle with red and white glitter, or colored sand. You could also spread glue over your jar, lightly stick on a cut-out of a maple leaf, then sprinkle your jar with sand or glitter; peel off the maple leaf cut-out and then sprinkle that area with a different colored sand or glitter, or a different type of material.

If you don't have time for an involved project, here are some simple craft ideas to help boost your Canada Day spirit:

• Things to do with ... flowers: Put some daisies in a water-filled mason jar and tie red ribbon around the outside of the jar. Or tie the red ribbon around a bouquet of white flowers and hang around the deck, fence or room.

• Things to do with ... construction paper: For an easy table decoration, place some red and white construction paper in a three hole punch, collect the punched out circles and sprinkle on top of your dining room table. Great for a relaxed dinner party, or just some family fun.

• Things to do with ... dessert: Indulge in berry season! Sprinkle raspberries or strawberries on top of a white desserts like, vanilla pudding, vanilla cake, ice cream, or better yet, some fresh whipped cream.

• Things to do with ... rocks: Paint rocks you've collected red and white, then place them in clear jars, or heat-proof glass bowls. Place one or more tea lights on top.

• Things to do with ... the kids: if you're having a party where kids will be involved, consider having a Canada Day-themed scavenger hunt. Hide red and white objects throughout your yard and/or house. Make sure they're easily identifiable as Canada Day themed – you can have a list of all the hidden objects. Or, make all the object the same, such as red and white painted rocks.
 
For more easy crafts to make with kids, check out Canadian Living Moms' Fun channel.

If you're looking to make a special lunch or dinner this Canada Day, check out our piece : Celebrate Canada Day: Summer recipes and family fun.