We love our kids, but it's hard to be home with them for days on end and even harder to keep them busy and engaged. If you're looking for ideas of things to make and do, the Library has plenty of books to get you started. Crafting, drawing, easy science experiments, magic, origami, calligraphy, sewing—take a look at some of the options, all available in e-book format.

If the book you're interested in is checked out, place a hold and you'll be notified when it's ready. And, don't forget to return it as soon as you're done so another family can enjoy it!

Martha Stewart's Favorite Crafts for Kids: 175 Projects for Kids of All Ages to Create, Build, Design, Explore, and Share by the editors of Martha Stewart Living

Focuses on craft projects that children, aged three to twelve, can make with their parents. These projects are fun, yet serve a practical purpose; children can wear, decorate, and play with what they make. Filled with ideas for a range of ages, skill levels, and interests, this book lets children's creativity run wild, while creating precious memories as parents and kids learn and create as a team.
 

The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments: Awesome Things To Do With Your Parents, Babysitters and Other Adults by Rachel Miller, Holly Homer, and Jamie Harrington

You’ll have the time of your life conducting these incredible, wacky and fun experiments with your parents, teachers, babysitters and other adults. You’ll investigate, answer your questions and expand your knowledge using everyday household items.

 

Project Kid: Crafts That Go!: 60 Imaginative Projects That Fly, Sail, Race, and Dive by  Amanda Kingloff

Presents step-by-step instructions for sixty craft projects, including a school bus pencil holder, a growth tracker, a modern mobile home, an origami boat, a construction site terrarium, and a space rocket. Projects feature clear instructions and step-by-step photographs wherever they are needed, easy for both kids and non-crafty adults to understand.

 

Paper Goods Projects: Coffee Filter Flowers, Doily Butterflies, Cupcake Paper Cards, and 57 More Crafts by Jodi Levine

Dozens of fun and simple crafts that can be made from everyday recycled items do not require a trip to a specialty store and include a variety of party favors, cake toppers, greeting cards, children's toys and home décor items.

 

 

 

Amazing Africa: Projects You Can Build Yourself by Carla Mooney

Separating the vast continent into its many distinct and diverse countries, this reference introduces the ancient civilizations and tribes, unique traditions, and amazing wildlife of Africa. It includes 25 fun projects that kids can complete using easily accessible supplies and even recycled materials.

 

 

 

The Flying Machine Book: Build and Launch 35 Rockets, Gliders, Helicopters, Boomerangs, and More by Bobby Mercer

Shows readers how to turn rubber bands, paper clips, straws, plastic bottles, and index cards into amazing, gravity-defying flyers. Each project contains a material list and detailed step-by-step instructions with photos. Mercer also includes explanations of the science behind each flyer, including concepts such as lift, thrust, and drag, the Bernoulli effect, and more.

 

Marvelous Magic by Susan Martineau (e-book only)

The world of magic is making way for old clothes and radishes. That may sound odd, but this book is all about taking ordinary objects and transforming them into the mesmerizing devices of magic. Craft enthusiasts will be creating magnificent disguises and tools used for unbelievable tricks. Colorful illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions guide readers into mastering the art of disguise and illusion. Fun facts are shared along the way.

 

 

The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections by Amanda Blake Soule (e-book only)

When you learn to awaken your family’s creativity, wonderful things will happen: you’ll make meaningful connections with your children in large and small ways; your children will more often engage in their own creative discoveries; and your family will embrace new ways to relax, play, and grow together. With just the simple tools around you—your imagination, basic art supplies, household objects, and natural materials—you can transform your family life, and have so much more fun!

 

Origami Games by Joel Stern (e-book only)

Origami Games is a unique twist on the traditional origami book. At its heart a book of games, it offers suggestions on how to use origami to play both competitive and cooperative games, building both individual skills and teamwork. The book also encourages readers to come up with and document their own games using a template provided in the back of the book. By using models made from regular letter size (8 1/2 x 11-inch) paper, Origami Games overcomes a common barrier—the difficulty in finding perfectly square paper—to the art of folding paper. The models in this book are simple and quick to make.

 

The Everything Kids' Easy Science Experiments Book: Explore the World of Science Through Quick and Fun Experiments  by J. Elizabeth Mills (e-book only)

Presents step-by-step instructions for a variety of simple science projects that explore concepts related to biology, chemistry, physics, the human body, and the planet Earth. Why is the sky blue? What makes a balloon float? Why can't I see in the dark? You can discover the answers to these questions and more . Using easy-to-find household materials like soda bottles and flashlights, you can build bubbles, create plastic—even make raisins dance! All of the experiments are kid-tested and educational—but more importantly, they're tons of fun.

 

Kids Draw: Big Book of Everything Manga by Christopher Hart (e-book only)

Offers an introduction to manga basics and provides step-by-step instructions for drawing a variety of manga characters, including monsters, robots, fairies, knights, flying characters, and supernatural beings.

 

 

 

 

Cool Calligraphy: The Art of Creativity for Kids by Anders Hanson (e-book only)

This book outlines the tools, strokes, and techniques for drawing italic and Gothic scripts, the traditional forms of Western calligraphy, and presents three activities to develop visual creativity.

 

 

 

 

What Shall We Do Today? 60 Creative Crafting Projects for Kids by Catherine Woram (e-book only)

 For children, the experience of creating is every bit as important as the end result. Crafting will fire their imagination and offer an inspiring alternative to endless hours in front of the computer or TV screen. What Shall We Do Today? is packed with more than 60 colorful, fun, and imaginative projects designed for boys and girls aged between 3-12 years. The book is arranged by season, and each section is crammed full of vibrant, appealing ideas for fun crafting activities, great gifts and pretty decorations. Every project can be completed using readily available materials - just follow the step-by-step instructions and you can't go wrong.
 

Box!: Castles, Kitchens, and Other Cardboard Creations for Kids by Noel MacNeal (e-book only)

Box! offers parents do-it-yourself, environmentally-friendly crafts that can be made with cereal boxes, packing boxes, toilet paper rolls, and egg cartons. Filled with easy-to-make cardboard box craft ideas complete with supply lists, four-color photos, tips, and templates, Box! supplies parents with projects that will keep their children entertained for hours, such as: making & little people with toilet paper rolls; creating a pirate ship out of a milk carton; fashioning a telescope using a paper towel tube; assembling planes, trains, and automobiles from cracker boxes, pasta boxes, or toothpaste boxes; and even constructing a child-sized desk out of three large boxes. 

My First Sewing Book: 35 Easy and Fun Projects for Children Aged 7 Years Old edited by Susan Akass (e-book only)

Here are 35 brilliant projects that will help you learn how to sew. If you've never used a needle and thread before, don't worry—start with the Sewing Techniques section, which simply explains how to do every stitch. Then pick something to make from one of the four chapters. In the Toys chapter, you'll find juggling animals, sock monsters and rag dolls, while in Fashion Fun, there are gorgeous bags, hair accessories and more. Next, discover some brilliant Decorations—from hanging felt stars to pretty lavender bags. Finally, Great Gifts is packed with ideas, such as the finger puppet cards, felt egg cosies or the sausage dog draft excluder. All the instructions and cute step-by-step artworks are easy to follow.

Pets: Learn to Draw and Color 23 Favorite Animals, Step by Easy Step, Shape by Simple Shape by Peter Mueller (e-book only)

Offers an exciting selection of drawing projects for kids  and shows kids how to draw step by step, starting with simple shapes and progressing to lifelike finished drawings. The book is carefully designed to contain a variety of shapes, sizes, breeds, or species—all drawn with accurate proportions and realistic coloring. Features fascinating information about the subjects, from cat-breed history to vehicle trivia.

 

 

Don't forget to "return" your e-books when you're done—the sooner you return them, the sooner someone else can use them.

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Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. 

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.