Is the extreme summer heat keeping your family indoors? Turn off the TV, dock the tablet and put the computer in sleep mode; it’s time for your kids to start decorating the house! I don’t have any advice to get kids to help with the household chores, but I’m brimming with ideas how kids of all ages can help beautify your home.

It IS possible to incorporate creative outlets for the kids within your home’s design without sacrificing your grown-up style. Have fun with these kid-friendly design projects that you can proudly display in your home–beyond the refrigerator door.

Paint a wall that will give you the option of displaying different artwork on a daily basis with magnetic chalkboard paint. What an incredible invention! You can paint an entire room, a feature wall or just the pantry door. A sleek, clean black wall can give a space tons of visual interest, and so can a black wall filled with chalk drawings!

As if we need another reason to love Benjamin Moore, their magnetic chalkboard paint is available in ANY COLOR! Did we mention it’s also washable? This is a perfect paint choice for a child’s bedroom walls. Or furniture! You can paint the top of the kids’ table in a classic chalkboard black or jazz up that old dresser with a bright new color. They can color chalk creations on the walls and furniture and display their artwork however they see fit with homemade magnets.

After all, you can’t have a magnetized wall without decking it out with cool magnets. Making your own magnets is a super cheap, super fun way to give your kids a creative outlet without the mess or costly supplies. We found easy instructions and great magnet design ideas to help you get this project started.

If you’ve got a rowdier bunch who’d rather throw rocks than have craft-time, pull out the paints, anyway, and have them bring their funny faces and favorite stones to the table. After the paint dries, dab some glue on the back, slap on a magnet and voilà!

Chances are the rocks used for your magnets were taken from somewhere in your yard. Keep painting! Make memories and get the whole family involved by creating a painted rock garden together. You can all add beauty to your landscaping regardless of your individual painting talents. See what you need to get your rock garden started here.

Sunburst mirrors are beautiful, popular and in some cases, pricey. Make your own! I am an interior designer with a reputation in Kansas City for designing custom furniture and accessories. I am not known for my DIY skills. At ALL. I don’t believe I have ever uttered the words, “Make your own”. With that said, I can’t wait to make one of these with my grandchildren this summer! Hopefully it will turn out as cute as the sunburst mirror pictured below. With poster board as the main material, the color options are endless! Check out TheNester.com for detailed instructions on how this mirror was made.

Every week we share designs that inspire us in the hopes that you, too, will be inspired to make the changes in your home that you dream of. This week, I hope we have inspired you all to get creative, get messy and have an amazing time with your families creating designs for your home that can be enjoyed by all. Keep these ideas in your back pocket for a rainy day!

If you need any help with your decor or if you are looking for some interior design inspiration and ideas, feel free to stop by our design studio or give us a call at 913-210-0511. Design Connection, Inc. offers free in-studio interior design consultations and we love to help our clients find ways to involve the whole family in the design process.