Great Ideas For Crafting With Your Kids

Image source Flickr.com

Mommies love to make and do as much as kids do, but sometimes it can be really hard to organize these kinds of activity at home. As children get older, it can get more difficult to find the time and resources to let our kids’ imagination run wild through their creativity. You might feel that schools are spending more time on coding and not enough on arts and crafts these days. If you feel you have a budding artist in the making, here are some great ways to let them explore that side of their character at home:

Painting - At a young age, kids love the effects they can create putting paint on absolutely anything using a brush. I think they love the fact it can be so messy too! Let your kids run wild with some kiddy safe paints but structure the activity by laying down some rules. Set them a challenge. They are to paint their favorite animal, or they need to paint their house and family. Use an easy wipe table cloth and some plastic coated aprons to minimize the mess, but remember the fun in this is mixing and making new things.

Needlecraft - Being able to personalize a favorite tee shirt with a badge, or resizing some clothes is still important. It saves money buying replacements, and it is great fun to be able to take old clothes and turn them into something new. Recycling is a great habit to get your kids into so learning to use a sewing machine can be really handy. Think about how much money you could save! You can check reviews online to find the best sewing machine for beginners. Being able to create thread patterns in an otherwise boring blouse is great fun for creative kids.

Sculpting - You may have some lego for building, or play-doh for manipulating into shapes. Set the kids a challenge to create something like their favorite animal or building. For older kids, see what they can create with some old paper clips and nuts and bolts. Being able to create something three dimensional in their hands can be very rewarding for children. It can also be good practice for them to learn patience and deal with their frustrations.

Card making - Using old cereal boxes or other packaging, kids can learn how to recycle them to make greetings cards. Find some stickers and shapes they can glue on. Glitter and small beads go down quite well too. First they need to cut the box down neatly and fold in two. Then they need to paint it or cover it in paper. Once they have finished decorating, they need to write a little poem or sentiment inside. This is great fun for them to think about rhyming words, and to practice their handwriting. Even tiny tots can have a go as it is a great introduction to writing letters with Mommy’s help. You can also punch a hole in the card to hang from string as a decoration.