Living in the electronic era that we’re in, naturally TV, iPad, and laptop time is going to come into play. But for those of us who want to discourage the video games and encourage some stimulating activity, choices can seem slim when you’re trying to stay within the family budget.

Hello arts and crafts.

Save your money for the mortgage or groceries. With a creative mind you do not need to stock your home with acrylic paint, drawing pads, and more. Everyday items and a little Elmer’s glue is the key to an endless variety of projects. The best part? This non-toxic, washable glue allows your children to safely create without you having to hover over their shoulder. You are definitely going to have to pick up scraps and vacuum afterwards, but the clean-up is a breeze compared to the amount of time it entertains the kids!

Rip art is fantastically fun, and easy, for children of all ages. (Adults too!) Without even having to supervise scissors use, rip art can provide a vast amount of entertainment and creativity. So, what exactly is rip art? Trust me when I say this — your kids will love it. All you need is a little paper and a whole lot of ideas.

Spare magazines? Newspapers? Scraps of craft paper? Perfect. With rip art, the discarded becomes the latest design. Magazines are great to rip out a picture of —well, anything! Whether it’s kittens, dinosaurs or comic strips characters that represent friends and family, the possibilities are endless. As for the single-color craft paper? Great backgrounds or great as a rip art masterpiece all on its own! See the fall trees we made courtesy of Portage Community School District.

Whether you have kids at home or are planning ahead for your upcoming family gatherings, why not take a few minutes to set up a box of rip-able paper? If your children are a little more difficult to get in the creative zone, a free, printable Crayola coloring book page can be easily turned into a rip art masterpiece like the turkey pictured here:

Tip: although this is a very independent activity (yea!), too much glue can make the picture a little “bubbly,” so if you are allowing someone with a strong grip or a young child go at it, you might want to stick to the glue stick. Taking a wet wipe or slightly damp cloth can help remove excess glue, I recommend parental help with that part though! Here we have some creative artists at the John Muir School in Portage, WI: