Looking for a simple and adorable kids activity you can do at home? This Kids Cardboard Manicure Activity is easy to set up, you definitely have everything you will need at home already, and kids LOVE painting the pretend nails with real nail polish!
I’m popping in today to share a super simple and adorably fun activity to do with your kids at home: meet the DIY cardboard manicure!
We’re always on the hunt for fun, cheap or free activities that we can do with our girls from the comfort of our living room, and like most families, we always have a whole lot of cardboard from Amazon packages and the like.
See Also → This Huge List of Fun and Educational Activities to do at Home With Young Kids
We’ve used our cardboard boxes to build rocket ships, castles, playhouses, trains, and more, but it occurred to me recently that we could cut panels from our leftover cardboard boxes to use for painting projects. And something my girls have been obsessed with doing lately: manicures.
Piggy Paints was also kind enough to send us a few of their kid-safe, non-toxic nail polishes (that smell like fruit!), and our girls have been begging me to paint their nails (and vice versa – they paint Mom and Dad’s nails every chance they get) nearly every afternoon. Let’s just say Mike’s toes are currently painted purple and blue and he’s never looked more FANTASTIC.
Thus, the kids cardboard manicure activity was born!
And I’m fairly certain it’s a new favorite in our house.
The beauty of this kids activity is it’s total simplicity! Most of us already have nail polish and leftover cardboard on hand in our houses, and most kids love to paint. Getting to paint with tiny nail polish brushes = it’s all the more exciting for kids!
And whether you use kids nail polish like Piggy Paints, or give the kids a few older bottles of nail polish that maybe wasn’t your favorite, is all up to you. Regardless, your kiddos are sure to have FUN.
DIY Kids Cardboard Manicure Activity
The prep for this cardboard manicure activity is super simple:
Grab a flat piece of cardboard and a black marker.
By the way, if you don’t have any cardboard laying around, cardstock works too! Thinner white printer paper won’t work as well since the nail polish will soak through thin paper pretty quickly.
Next, you will trace your kiddos hands (it doesn’t have to be perfect – kids will wiggle!), then draw on finger nails (again, doesn’t need to be perfect at all!)
After that, you’ll set out bottles of nail polish for your kids. If they’re younger, open the bottles for them and of course, keep an eye on them as they paint. And then: let the fun happen!
This Kids Cardboard Manicure Activity is easy to set up, you should have everything you will need at home already, and kids LOVE painting the pretend nails! *If you don't have any cardboard laying around, cardstock works too! Thinner white printer paper won't work as well since the nail polish will soak through thin paper pretty quickly.
Kids Cardboard Manicure Activity
Materials
Instructions
Notes
SHOP THE KIDS CARDBOARD MANICURE ACTIVITY | CLICK LEFT & RIGHT ARROWS TO EXPLORE
If you find yourself at home with your kids, be sure to check out this huge list of fun and educational activities for young children!
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