Markers can boldly go on many surfaces where other art supplies wouldn't leave a trace (if you've ever tried to draw on plastic with a crayon, you'll know what I mean). This simple sun catcher--made from plastic lids--capitalizes on that ability. When you hang the translucent shapes in a window, the marker colors light up like stained glass.

To begin, your child should use a black permanent marker to draw the outline of a creature or geometric shape on a soft, noncolored plastic lid, such as from a coffee can. (In our house, airplanes and rainbows are perennial favorite subjects.) Cut out the shape with scissors (a parent's job), then have your child completely fill in the shape with colored permanent markers.

When the design is finished, punch a hole in the top of the shape and tie on a loop of string or fishing line. Hang your sun catcher from the top of a window or string a few together to make a mobile.