A refrigerator magnet is a simple craft for kindergartners, and people like to collect them. The project takes less than 30 minutes to complete and allows the child to use creativity in painting. Pre-cut foam shapes, magnets and paint are all that is needed. Use foam shapes without adhesive backs. Each child needs three magnets and three foam shapes for a set of magnets. He can put a dab of glue on the magnet and press a foam shape to each. Sets of magnets -- apple, pear, banana or square, triangle, circle -- are ideal. Let the child paint his foam shapes after the glue dries.
People love to feed birds, and kindergartners can make attractive birdfeeders with a string, a bagel, peanut butter, shortening and birdseed in about 30 minutes. They tie their string to a bagel, mix peanut butter and shortening together in 50/50 proportion and spread it onto the flat side of the bagel. When there is a nice thick coating, press the bagel into the birdseed. Wrap the bagel with plastic wrap and tie a little bow on it to ready it for the auction. If you’d like, include a sticker to explain to the buyer to take the plastic wrap off before hanging it.
Children can make unique, easy-to-auction clay pencil holders with a lump of clay and tempura paint. Have the child shape her lump clay into cup and smooth the top to remove edges so that they are not sharp after being fired in a kiln. The kindergartners etch pictures in the clay or use oddly shaped items to make unique impressions. On another day, after the crafts are fired in a kiln, the children use tempura paint to brighten them up.
Unique gifts make good auction items. Kindergartners can make unique wind chimes using a small wooden block with four or five holes drilled to tie strings of beads. Ceramic beads, which are used for macramé projects, make a fun tinkling sound in the wind. Tie a bead or little bell to the end of the string to keep the other beads from falling off. If yarn is used, a little masking tape at one end will make it easier to string. Take off the masking tape when the beads are strung and thread each string of beads through one of the holes in the block. Tie a heavy string or jute to both ends of block, and it’s ready to hang in the wind.