If you’re trying to use your noggin’ and come up with cool craft ideas for your kids, it’s hard to be unique. Almost every original craft activity has been used and advertised to excess, although you don’t see rope craft ideas used all too often. There are tons of cool ways that rope can be used to keep your kids occupied and entertained. 

Colourful Doggy Leash 

If you have a pet at home, you can decide to design a customized leash with your kids to suit their puppy personality. You’ll want to do this activity outside because it does involve spray paint, so ensure you’re doing it with age-appropriate children. I would recommend getting a half-inch cotton rope to use for the leash, and use whatever length you feel comfortable for your dog. You can either hang up the piece of rope or lay it on a piece of plywood (you’ll need to use gloves to turn it). You’ll want to use fabric spray paint that does not aerosolized. 

Use whatever colours appeal to your child, just make sure they’re wearing gloves, and you aren’t using any new clothing. Because this is fabric paint it will adhere to any clothing so older outfits are best. Create the handle by turning the rope over on itself to a comfortable size, and use hot glue to bind the two ends together. You can either use tape with a strong adhesive, or lace to bind these portions together and increase its longevity. Repeat the same process to attach a clasp that can fit your dog’s collar, and voila! You now have a new dog leash you can use with your child on outdoor walks. 

Making Jump Rope 

Making jump rope is a great way to get younger kids excited about learning how to do this activity. They’ll be more interested in trying out their new toy than if you were just to purchase it off the shelf. One thing you’ll need to decide on is what type of rope you want to be using for your skipping rope. The professionals of https://www.mapleleafropes.com/store/brand/new-england outline various types of ropes, and might help you decide which to use. Polyester rope tests to be a bit sturdier for jump rope, and it moves slow enough to help learning kids get a handle on things. 

The next step involves cutting the rope to a length that’s appropriate for the child. You can test this out by getting them to hold the rope before cutting it. You may also want to include straw beads on the rope, it gives kids a chance to add some decorations to their new toy. You can make handles by using a PVC pipe from your local hardware store and cutting it to handle size. Just make sure that the thickness of the rope correlates for the size of the tubing. Buying a PVC pipe gives your children a chance to paint the handles and add stickers, which make it more fun activity. Simply loop the rope through, tie it on the end once outside of the handle, and cut any loose ends. Now all that’s left is to start the jump rope lessons for your little one.

Paracord Bracelets

Paracord bracelets are rope bracelets that use parachute cord as their main material. This rope craft idea should be reserved for kids who are a little older or are particularly dexterous. Around the age of 9 would be a good standard to set before starting this craft idea. You can get multiple colours of parachute cord so your child can be as creative as they please. You’ll need to get a detached plastic buckle to tie to the parachute cords around, and you’ll also need to use a lighter to fuse and melt any excess. The entire bracelet is formed using square knots attaching one end of the detached buckle to another. If you’re unsure of how to do this there are tons of step by step guides online! This rope craft activity gives your child a new accessory to brandish and be proud of.

If you have one child who’s younger, you can still make them a part of the activity. Young children generally don’t mind being involved, and if you need to help them a little they’ll just be glad they aren’t missing out. Rope crafts are great because most of the materials that you’ll need are readily accessible from a hardware store, or online retailers. Be creative and do something that your kids aren’t expecting by introducing them to these rope activities!