It’s school holiday time, but without all the usual camps and activities kids would usually be doing right now, everyone is feeling rather trapped at home. Well, parents — have no fear. Rather than resorting to plonking the kids down in front of the TV, we have rounded up some of our favorite hands-on craft activities that can all be purchased on Taobao. These soothing crafts will keep your kids entertained (and away from screens) for hours, while also giving them a sense of purpose, and probably even provide some entertainment for the whole family. And when you’re done, it’ll be a token of triumph, a sign that we have overcome quarantine once again, together.

Here are some of the best crafts found on Taobao:

Paint by Number Kit

The popularity of this painting craft has surged in recent years, and for good reason. While those less trained in the arts may shy away from the concept of creating a painting, this kit requires zero experience in drawing. Once you’ve chosen the design you’d like to create, the canvas arrives with printed outlines, which divides the painting up based on its range of colors. The kit arrives with all the necessary color-coded paints and paintbrushes. Simply color each section of the canvas with the corresponding numbered paint and you’ll have a masterpiece before you know it. It’s very suitable for bored children sitting at home, but can also be a delightful stress reliever for other family members. A normal 40cm by 50cm canvas generally costs around RMB 20, but the price may vary from RMB 20 to 150 depending on the size of the canvas you choose.

To find it, search: 数字油画DIY (shù zì yoú huà DIY)

Wool Felt Dolls

These cute wool dolls may seem hard to create, but they’re actually rather easy! Each kit comes with wool, felting tools, and an instruction manual detailing how to ‘felt’ the wool (mat or shred the wool) into the right shape. Usually, all you have to do is create a few round balls, glue on an eye or two, and your wool felt doll comes to life. This craft can be enjoyed by people of all ages, but parents should supervise their kids while they work with needles. The price for these cute creatures range from RMB 20 to 40.

To find it, search: 羊毛毡戳戳乐 (yáng máo zhān chuō chuō lè)

Miniature Houses

These highly detailed miniature houses come with step-by-step instructions, hundreds of tiny pieces, and tons of glue. Beginning from scratch, one builds their way up to a fully structured house or single room. It’s almost like real-life construction work! (Almost) This craft is pretty fiddly, so best suited to teens and adults. The cheaper kits are around RMB 60, which in most cases are the design of a single room. For more fancy buildings (such as the image above), the cost will likely range from RMB 100 to 200.

To find it, search: DIY 小屋 (DIY xiǎo wū)

Hand Crafted Music Box

At first glance, these might simply look like a beautiful decoration. Up close, one will realize that it is actually a colorfully-decorated music box, enveloped by said decoration. The wooden decoration comes in pieces, accompanied by a step-by-step instruction manual. This craft is suitable for young kids, but a patient parent could take a small child through the process too. Simpler designs will cost around RMB 80, while the more intricate and colorful designs will range from RMB 150 to 200.

To find it, search: DIY 八音盒 (DIY bā yīn hé)

Scrapbook

Does anyone wonder what we can actually do with the thousands upon thousands of pictures we store everywhere? Well, a handcrafted scrapbook can solve that problem. Print out your pictures, grab some markers, and plaster all those memories onto a heart-warming scrapbook. This is a perfect crafts idea for people of all ages, even little kids! Just plop them next to the table and start cutting and gluing. The price for a normal scrapbook ranges from RMB 40 to 100.

To find it, search: DIY手工纪念册 (DIY shǒu gōng jì niàn cè)

Hand Knit Dolls

Hand knit dolls are old-fashioned and cute, and can be gifted to a friend or placed anywhere in the house for a bit of charm. Kits come with all the necessary materials and instructions, and in case you mess up, you can always just turn it into a scarf. This craft would be more suitable for teens or young kids at best, as knitting can be tough for younger beginners. The average price for a cute doll is around RMB 30.

To find it, search: 毛线编制玩偶 (máo xiàn biān zhì wán ǒu)

3D Metal Structure

You can make your favorite buildings in the world come to life with these 3D metal structure pieces. These advanced structures are fit for young kids and up, but will require a lot of patience and guidance from anyone, and can take anywhere from a few days to a over a week to complete. The price for these can range from RMB 80 to 300.

To find it, search: 3D立体金属拼图 (3d lì tǐ jīn shǔ pīn tú)

Thumbtack Yarn Paintings

To make these creative designs, simply push the thumbtacks into the designated locations, and wrap the colored yarn around them. This kit comes with detailed instructions so you know what to wrap and where, and has a lot of room for creative input. It is definitely time-consuming, but not so hard that young children cant experiment with it. The price will range from RMB 50 to 300 based on the design you choose.

To find it, search: 钉子绕线画 (dīng zì rào shā huà)

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Photos: Elena Kloppenburg (via Unsplash), TaoBao.com

It seems that the COVID-19 pandemic is also bringing big brands down to their knees. Today, one of our local sources received an intriguing text message from the famous sporting goods retailer Decathlon, which indicated that their Laiguanying branch was closing down.

For years Decathalon has been the go-to place for Beijing’s parents when it came to sporting goods and apparel for the whole family. Browsing through the giant warehouse-like store felt like shopping in the US and their competitive prices let parents stock up on the season’s latest sporting equipment without breaking the bank.

The text message roughly translates to “The second wave on Taobao is upon us, as our Laiguangying branch closes down! Nine days left! Thousands of products have now been added, at all at lower prices! Free coupons to shop at our Siyuanqiao and Longde branches also available upon making a purchase, we are eagerly waiting to welcome you!.”

The “second wave on Taobao” presumably means that a new host of sales are now available when you shop for Decathlon apparel on Taobao. Decathlon has gone into discount overdrive off late. For the 6.18 shopping season, the sporting retailer has put up to 50% off on fitness equipment and clothing on Taobao.

Major discounts on athletic apparel

On their website, they are offering an end of season, inventory clearing discount of up to 80% off on goods.

The branch closure also raises an interesting proposition as to whether they’re closing down in-person stores and are instead expanding their online presence. Though the text message does mention that Decathlon will give customers free coupons to shop at their Siyuanqiao and Longde locations if they make purchases online. While the branch closure is to be lamented, Beijingers should be emboldened to buy their favorite sports apparel and gear from the store we know best.

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Photos: Decathlon Group, beijingkids, Taobao, romania-insider.com