Even though we only get the newspaper once a week, we always seem to have a pile of it lying around the house or tossed in the recycle bin.
In fact, that was my inspiration for our DIY Eiffel Tower project!
Why go out and spend money on building materials when you have some great stuff around the house, right!
So, since I know that newspapers are easy to come by and usually just recycled once read, I thought we’d share some inspiration for a few high fun, low cost summer projects for kids!
Building Materials for Kids: Newspapers
A few things I LOVE about using newspapers for projects — they are light and easy for kids to manipulate; they can be bent, folded and easily shaped and you can create in black & white or color (using comics and inserts).
One downside — inky fingers 😉
But it cleans off quickly so don’t let that deter you.
Newspapers are also wonderful for crafting and building so don’t be afraid to branch out and let the kids use their imaginations!
Here are a few creative ideas to inspire you along with affiliate links for some items we love to use when building!
BUILD with newspaper!
Construct a Geodesic Dome — Modern Parents, Messy Kids
And these Newspaper Builders Rod Tubes & Connectors 
Or Build a Newspaper Pyramid — Wendolonia
Or errect your own Eiffel Tower with newspapers!
Make your own Pirate Hat — Skip to My Lou
Then sail off in a Newspaper Pirate Ship! — Huffington Post
Spend the afternoon at the park with a Newspaper Kite — Living Well, Spending Less
And I adore this newsprint building challenge from Zoom on PBS — how tall of a tower can you build?
CREATE with newspaper!
Send a letter to a friend in a newspaper envelope — Artistic Endeavors 101
Or make your own jewelry with this 4M Recycled Paper Beads Kit
Weave a newspaper basket to hold special treasures — Craftionary
You can also make newspaper planting pots to start your favorite garden seeds — Mama’s Nook
Girls will love making a newsprint hair bow — Child Care is Fun
PLAY with newspaper!
Create these beautiful Newspaper Bonnets — Red Ted Art
And this newspaper vest is great for imaginative play! — DLTK
Or make an awesome paper mache mask that you can decorate any way you’d like! — About Style
And the kids will enjoy burning off some energy with this fun Spiderweb Game — Hands on: As We Grow
Looking for more ways to use things from around the house?
These two books are CHOCKED FULL of ideas for crafting, tinkering & creating with kids!
Green Crafts for Children: 35 Step-by-Step Projects Using Natural, Recycled, And Found Materials
Tinkerlab: A Hands-On Guide for Little Inventors 
Looking for more inspiration? Try these 12 Great Building Materials for Kids !
MORE CREATIVE FUN:
Make an Under the Sea Ocean World
Engineering Books & Resources for Kids
Do you have a favorite building material?