Girls seem to be naturally attracted to arts and crafts, but boys are sometimes a different matter. If you’re running a summer camp, holding a crafts party or just want to get your sons involved in a neat project, you may be scratching your head when it comes to craft ideas. Fortunately, there are several categories of crafts that attract boys of all ages.
Nature Crafts
Nature crafts are a good choice for boys. This allows them to go out into the wilderness and gather the materials.
A great nature craft idea is “Forest Friends.” These crafts are easy to make and will allow the boys to work off some of that excess energy. Take them to the park and ask them to gather leaves, twigs and pinecones.
When you return back home from the park, let the boys decorate their finds with googly eyes and puff balls. Use Gorilla Glue or another multi-purpose glue that will adhere to the natural surfaces. Make faces on the leaves and pinecones, and then attach the twigs for bodies. You can make limbs from construction paper and the boys will have nature-inspired puppets to play with for the rest of the day.
Character Crafts
Boys like creating crafts that help them pretend they are their favorite heroes and characters. Pirates are very popular these days, so any pirate-related crafts will be well received. You can provide the supplies to make a construction paper or sewn felt eye patches, depending on the age of the boys.
Every pirate needs a parrot, so there’s another simple craft idea. Use old toilet paper tubes, feathers and markers so each boy can have a personal parrot sidekick. Boys will also enjoy making treasure chests from old shoeboxes and treasure maps to find their loot from paper bags and markers.
Science Crafts.
If you have an older group of boys to entertain with crafts, don’t underestimate the power of science-themed crafts. These crafts are part science experiment, part craft. One example of a science themed craft is invisible writing. For this craft, you’ll need a laxative tablet, one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, cotton balls and ammonia.
Crush the tablet into a container and then add the alcohol. Have the boys use paintbrushes to create their secret messages. As the ink dries, it will disappear. To see the message, simple have them rub the pieces of paper with cotton balls soaked in ammonia. It’s not the most pleasant smelling craft, but it sure is a lot of fun!
As long as you keep boys active and engaged, they’ll have as much fun with crafts as girls do. Although they aren’t patient enough for beaded lanyards, they have activities and interests that can engage them just as much. So before you assume that boys and crafts just don’t mix, try some of these ideas.
Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape.com, where she shares coupons for discount art supplies and discount craft supplies.
Author: Jamie Jefferson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Arts and crafts are always a good idea to help kids keep busy. These provide a great way for kids to show off their creativity and encourages them to try something new. One problem though with a lot of arts and crafts is that they can become too messy in a hurry.
One alternative that I have found to be effective is candy jewelry. A lot of kids like this because it’s a combination of candy and jewelry. All kids naturally like candy because it tastes good providing them with a nice little treat. However, many kids, especially young girls like jewelry. Think of all the time they spend making bracelets and other craft items and you will understand. It is fun for them to make it and then show it off.
For the above reasons, candy jewelry makes for a great arts and craft idea. One product called the Candy Bead Studio does an excellent job of making this very easy for kids. This product allows kids to make pendants, necklaces and rings. Better yet, is the fact that kids can eat many of the ingredients at any time and its still safe. Also, they can even add more creativity by using an edible marker to add designs, symbols, letters or whatever else they can think of.
After they are done designing their candy jewelry with a set like the Candy Bead Studio, they can show it off and wear it. Then, after weeks of showing it off to family and friends, they can decide to eat it and later start the process all over again. This makes the making of candy jewelry and fun, entertaining, and yummy experience.
The only challenge for parents is providing extra supplies as I am sure many kids will enjoy making more and more pieces of candy jewelry with the Candy Bead Studio or other similar sets. Regardless, parents can be happy knowing that the kids are doing a hobby that is neat and creative.
For more information on candy jewelry, check out Candy Bead Studio, or try visiting http://www.popularchristmasgiftsideas.com – it is a website offering key information about all the hot new Christmas gifts including toys, games, and electronics.
Author: John T. Marshall
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Arts & crafts with kids!
There are countless reasons why it is a great idea to do arts and crafts with your kids. For one, working on arts & crafts helps to hone children’s creativity. Arts and crafts can also help promote teamwork and sharing, as well as offering the perfect opportunity to bond and find new common interests. Arts and crafts also allow kids to openly express themselves, even at very young ages. Nonetheless, despite all these positives, the best reason for getting your kids involved in arts and crafts is that it is fun! If you are panicking that you will not know how to guide your child through their first craft, there is no need to worry; there are plenty of arts and crafts ideas for all ages from pre-schoolers up through teenage artists.
Best practices for doing arts & crafts with kids
1. Don’t ask “What is it?” when you are befuddled as to the identity of your kid’s final creation. Just ask your kid to tell you more about their art or craft, and let them explain how they see their creation.
2. There will be a mess. There is nothing you can do about it. As soon as you make that realization, the whole experience will be far more enjoyable. Indeed, sometimes it is even important to make a mess. Take that knowledge to plan ahead. Get a large clear workspace for your kids, and give them the opportunity to be creative without having to worry about getting paint on your new Persian rug
2. Making arts and crafts is supposed to be about using your imagination. For this reason, try not to show your kids a completed craft as an example. Instead, let your kids learn to interpret the instructions as they wish in order to truly be creative. This will also give your kids a good lesson on the best ways to follow and adapt instructions.
4. Making arts and crafts requires a lot of focus. For this reason, it is best to get your kids to calm down a bit before placing them in front of glue and scissors.
Basic supplies for making arts & crafts with kids
Just like your kitchen pantry, a kid’s craft drawer should have a few staples. While you may need something more specific for special crafts, for the most part you will be able to get by with the following list: kid-friendly paint, scissors, crayons, etc. It’s also a good idea to keep a drawer stocked with construction paper, beads, glitter, paint brushes, glue sticks, and the ever popular “wiggly eyes.”
The education benefit of arts & crafts
Arts and crafts can be used to apply hands-on learning to any subject. Using crafts this way helps kids think more in-depth about the subject of their artwork or craft projects. Virtually any subject matter can be taught using arts & crafts with a little creativity. For instance, if you are learning about world geography, you could have the kids make a tissue paper globe.
Learn about holidays, history, and any other topic your kids should study. Even math can be enriched through arts and crafts. Remember that school isn’t the only place kids should be learning; your kids will be much more willing and excited to learn if you make learning fun with interactive arts and crafts projects.
Some ideas for kids’ arts & crafts
Kids’ arts and crafts can be quick and simple to keep the attention of on-the-go toddlers. They can also be sophisticated and complex for older kids who are up to a challenge. To get an idea of the scope of arts and crafts projects out there, take a trip to your local arts and crafts store or teacher’s supply shop. These stores will have pre-designed craft kits, including jewelry art, painting kits, and other craft ideas. Each kit will come with instructions and all of the materials you require.
Another good idea, once you have gained some experience, is to walk arts and craft stores to shop for kids’ art ideas. Here are some ideas: try straw painting, where kids can create arts and crafts by blowing paint through a straw onto a poster board or construction paper; or let your kids dip marbles in paint and roll them across the painting surface for a messy (but fun!) painting project. If you are looking for something a bit less messy then try pipe cleaner art. This is a great craft because kids of all ages can join in. Young children can use their imaginations to create simple objects out of pipe cleaners. Older kids may enjoy incorporating other supplies such as beads into pipe cleaner art.
Mary Amos loves arts and crafts and has been creating amazing projects for kids and families for years. See her exciting new ideas at Arts and Crafts with Kids, and be sure to visit Arts and Crafts for more fun projects!
Author: Mary Amos
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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As you know, every hobby that we do will require some sort of materials and tools necessary to accomplish that hobby. In this case, we will take a look at the most valuable tools that are needed for the beadwork hobby, regardless if you do it for fun or as a business.
Round Nose Pliers
Round nose pliers are a big necessity when it comes to beadwork. This is the most often used tool in this hobby and you will want to make sure that you always have one on hand. The round nose pliers are used for bending the wires and making loops. While there are round nose pliers in the hardware stores, there are some that are specifically made for jewelry making and will be much better in the long run because they are durable and are the exact thing that you need for your bead crafting projects.
Flat Nose Pliers
The flat nose pliers also known as chain nose pliers is also one of the most frequently used tools. They can be used for mostly anything that you need including holding your pieces together and opening your chain links. These chain nose pliers are very thin at the tip and can get into pretty much any tight space.
Scissors
Of course our handy dandy scissors will be used for almost any beading project to cut the wire and anything that needs cutting.
Awl
An awl is a very popular beading tool that is used for knotting and makes it so much easier for you t o make knots on your jewelry pieces.
Tweezers
Although tweezers are not a huge necessity when it comes to beadwork, it will definitely make your life much easier. You can use the tweezers to pick up the real tiny beads that you may be using for your projects.
All of the tools that are listed above are the most commonly used tools. With the beading craft, you will not need an immense amount of tools, but it is essential that the tools that you use are of high quality and will last you a long while. It is best to invest into a higher quality tool that is made for beading and jewelry making than going to a hardware store and buying regular working tools. These tools will not be as effective as the actual beading tools.
Get some additional beadwork ideas by visiting us on our website, http://www.beadcraftideas.com/
Author: Chris Hartpence
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Are you a child minder or an after school club looking for craft projects suitable for kids groups? Maybe you feel like you are just not the creative type, and you find the thought of coming up with ideas for craft projects rather daunting. Some people just have a knack for finding or even inventing craft ideas, but your creativity can be improved. There are ways to make it easier to find craft projects suitable for kids needs.
First, forget about perfectionism, and remember the golden rule, kids just want to get stuck in, enjoy the activity and achieve quick results. Regardless of the kids group you are dealing with, there are always many suitable craft projects and ideas out there. If you’ve taken into consideration the age and skill levels of the kids involved, your choice should be adequate.
An aspect of creativity that the non-creative types don’t realize is that ideas spring from other ideas. For instance you could spend hours looking over books of craft projects, only to find that none of those particular ideas appeal to you, but if you let them, they will spark an idea for a similar project.
When choosing a craft project for kids groups, you need to be aware that some of the ready made kits can be expensive. Pre-packaged kits to make collage pictures or a fun foam picture frame are affordable for small groups of kids, but if you are planning a craft session with lots of kids, these ready made kits will cost too much.
The solution is easy, to do almost exactly the same project take note of the craft kit contents and buy the same materials in bulk at the local discount store.
With this option you may have to do more preparation, like cutting out shapes ahead of time, or at least making cardboard patterns for the kids to use in cutting out their own shapes, but the savings will be well worth the effort.
Alternatively make one of your sessions into a fun craft preparation class, where you would split the kids into groups, and give each group a different preparation task. of collecting different required materials, drawing their own shapes etc for the following craft project making session. Remember, with kids groups it does not have to be perfect, use what you have and create the remainder.
If the craft seems a little girly, then it won’t work well in boys groups. Stick with kite making, mask making, and similar projects. Girls will like beads, sequins and anything that’s pink or purple. For a craft idea for kids groups with kids of both sexes, keep it on the boyish side and provide some pink materials to keep the girls happy.
For instance, if you’re making Indian feathered head dresses, let the girls decorate their feathers with sequins and glitter, or tissue paper flowers for the headband part.
A final suggestion is to realize that craft projects are all about having fun, so choose a craft idea, let the imagination run riot, and let the kids get creating.
Hi, my name is Veronica,
over the past 30 years my various jobs, studies and areas of personal interest have taken me into the worlds of many different Craft projects.
I have recently decided that I would like to share some of my knowledge and expertise with people who are interested in crafting.
My website is [http://www.bestcraftprojectsonline.com] My craft blog is at [http://www.horseracingforprofitonline.com]
Please feel free to post on my blog, as I would love this to become a wealth of information for crafters.
Author: Veronica Gregory
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Arts & crafts for holidays and special occasions
Are you looking for a great way to spend quality time celebrating with family and friends? Then creating arts & crafts for holidays and special occasions may be exactly what you are looking for. When you make arts and crafts with friends and family, you will not just have the beautiful objects to keep with you, but the memories made while creating these arts & crafts. Every year when you pull out these homemade treasures, you’ll be reminded of those wonderful memories.
Of course, you are probably concerned that you could not possibly make anything that remotely resembles a treasure! Fortunately, it is not necessary to be an artist or expert in order to make high-quality arts & crafts. The best decorations are often simple crafts that you have only put time and effort into. It is the personal touch and thought that will make these simple crafts so meaningful and loved by the recipients. If you need some help in crafting your creations, there are countless resources available both online and in local craft stores to provide ideas for high-quality arts & crafts for holidays and special occasions.
Making Christmas arts & crafts for kids
More families create handmade treasures together during the Christmas holiday season than any other time of year. Indeed, many families base their holiday traditions on creating homemade ornaments each year. This is great for families with small children; as they grow, they’ll be able to look back over the years and see their own growth in their ornaments.
The most popular holiday arts and crafts for children and families to make together at Christmas include cotton ball snowmen, construction paper reindeer antlers, candy cane reindeers, and of course the timeless edible gingerbread house. Another fun idea for children is to make Christmas countdown calendars.
Making Christmas arts & crafts as gifts
The most meaningful gifts you can give are those that are homemade. This can be helpful during the holiday season, when extra cash can be tight and the stores are swarming with shoppers. Also, make some arts & crafts ahead of time and keep them handy in case of unexpected guests. Popular arts & crafts during the Christmas season include photo books & scrapbooks, beaded ornaments, decorated candle jars, brooches & other handmade jewelry.
Arts & crafts for other holidays
While the above discussion has focused on Christmas, the end of December is by no means the only time of the year when people will create special holiday-focused arts & crafts. Other holidays that present excellent opportunities for creativity include Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Independence Day, and St. Patrick’s Day. Special occasions that offer excellent opportunities for arts & crafts include birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, and other “milestones.” While expensive gifts are often appreciated, it is frequently the handmade crafts that are remembered and cherished long after the special day.
And with each season, the home crafter is presented with a great opportunity to create seasonally-appropriate crafts. To give your crafts a seasonal glow, read the following advice. In the fall, make crafts that emphasize the vibrant orange, reds, and yellows of autumn, or those that feature apples, pumpkins, squash, and other fall fruits. Winter crafts obviously focus on the holiday season and snowfall. Light blues and whites are great craft colors for the winter. When spring finally arrives after a long winter, try using flowers as the focal point of most crafts, and rely on pastels and bright colors. In the summertime, highlight patriotism and the laid-back style of the season. Red, white, and blue will never fail you in this special season.
Where can you find arts and crafts ideas for the holidays?
The best place to get ideas for special occasion and holiday arts & crafts are arts & crafts shows. Arts & crafts shows can be found in cities and towns across America, particularly in the fall and winter. Strolling through these quaint shows can provide plenty of ideas for crafts and art for holidays and special occasions, and if you talk to the artisans themselves, you might pick up some pointers and techniques. In the summer and fall, festivals will still include interesting seasonal crafts, and can provide great ideas for your own creativity.
If you can’t make it out to an arts & crafts fair, just retreat to the Internet and browse around the huge collections of holiday arts and craft designs. Or get out of the house and browse your local craft and hobby store. If you are really stuck, even looking at raw materials may trigger craft ideas. If not, these stores usually will carry books and magazines specifically tailored to holiday and special occasions crafts and art. (Most major bookstores will also carry these books).
Mary Amos loves arts and crafts and has been creating amazing holiday gifts and projects for years. See her exciting new ideas at Holiday Crafts, and be sure to visit Arts and Crafts for more arts and crafts fun!
Author: Mary Amos
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The discovery of poisonous “beads” in a highly advertised and popular new toy being sold in Australia, until recently, alarmed people with children of every age!
I can hear you saying, “No More Beads In This House!”
But wait a moment, not so fast… normal beads are NOT poisonous! Here in Australia, there are top quality, safe and fun bead kits created and manufactured for children of all ages and abilities.
The beads in these kids bead kits have holes in them for threading onto elastic, wire or cords. The carefully created bead patterns are made to be very easy to follow with you and your child in mind, although your younger child will definitely need your help with reading and understanding. An incidental chance for quality time with your child.
There are kid’s bead kits made using wire to create a crocodile, a spider, a swan, clowns, angels, fairies and scorpions, and also christmas decorations… the list goes on. Other kids bead kits include nylon thread, and some include needle and thread for the dexterous older child who is ready for that challenge.
Bead making can be part of children’s party themes, being used as kids party activities, and or the bead kits can be popped into kids party bags. They can also be stocking fillers, or be christmas beading tree decorations, something special for the child.
There are several easy bead ornaments in the Christmas decorations category.
Bead kits are designed for boys as well as girls, teenagers, and also for the 3 – 4 year old. Plenty of fascinating projects for those busy fingers and inquisitive minds!
So when you are next looking for a small, quality and interesting kids craft idea, remember not to put all “beads” in one “poisonous” basket.
Kids bead kits are safe. They give hours of fun. Your children will not only be busy, but safe and happy, too.
Search out a kids bead kit made here in Australia. Your children & teenagers will love you for it!
Rae opened Cabeadle the Bead Shop 15 years ago. One of her main aims was for it to be educational, so a big worktable was central to the shop. Bead Kits in general, and then Kids Bead Kits were soon created for customers, as Rae was quickly aware that people of all ages and abilities found it difficult to choose bead colours and combinations. They also needed help in the form of a Bead Kit to get their confidence up & their creative juices flowing. The Kids Bead Kits have become a significant part of the store, and are available online at [http://www.cabeadle.com.au/xcart/home.php?cat=3/Kids]
Retail outlet: Cabeadle, Shop 24, Market Plaza, ADELAIDE SA 5000
Author: Rae Hinton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Crafting with kids can be extremely important for the bonding process between parent and child. This is especially true, when the whole family is involved in the process. As well, the child develops a variety of different skills that will last him a life time. Therefore, it is important that you make time to spend crafting with your little one.
Crafting with kids it is a great time to spend some one on one time together. Kids love spending quality with their parents and doing crafts is a great way to spend that time. This is a time that can be extremely fun for both parent and child. Arts and crafts can help form a connection. If you have a child that you are having trouble connecting with, then considering sitting down and doing a craft with them. It will help the child to open up to you and create that special bond that may be lacking.
Crafting also lets a child express their creativity. Often times, kids know what they want to say or do, but are unable to express it. Therefore, while working on a craft, they are able to fully express themselves. While they are working on the craft, allow them the freedom to do that craft as they please. Even if the craft doesn’t turn out exactly as it was supposed to, your child will still enjoy working with you on the craft.
Crafting with kids is important because it can help to develop hand eye coordination. If you are working with small beads, it is a great experience for the kids to try and string all of the different beads.
Crafting with kids is important because it also helps them develop listening skills and follow directions. In order to complete a craft, they must be able to follow through with the directions. As well, they must completely listen to what you are saying and take all of that in.
Before beginning the craft, you will want to be sure that you organize all of the supplies you will need for the craft. This is a great learning experience for your little one, as it teaches them how to plan and organize.
After the craft, you will need to clean up everything. Be sure to incorporate your little one in the clean up, as it will help them learn they must clean up any messes they make. If you are working with young kids, they can participate in throwing things in the trash or putting supplies away. Just make sure to keep the clean up fun, so they will want to help.
After your child has completed the craft, be sure to display it. This will help create a sense of pride and pleasure in your little one. It will also show them that you are proud of the artwork they have created.
Crafts often make great gifts for family and friends. Grandparents particularly love home-made gifts. Therefore, sit down with your child and help them make a craft for an upcoming holiday or birthday. This will show your little one that hand-made crafts and gifts are greatly appreciated and a wonderful idea.
Crafting with kids is important for a variety of different reasons. It not only helps create a lasting bond between you and your child, it teaches them a variety of different skills such as hand eye coordination, listening and clean up skills. It also allows for some much needed one on one time. Whatever the reason you choose to do a craft, keep in mind to make it light and fun.
For more fun crafts for children visit http://www.southernmomsonline.com/categories/crafts/
Author: Susanne Myers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Christmas is a great time for family and friends to get together and celebrate. It is also a wonderful time to exchange gifts with one another. Most people buy their Christmas gifts to give to others but in my opinion; handmade gifts from loved ones are the most valuable to possess. Before you even think of buying from shopping malls, think of some creative Christmas craft ideas, so that you can personally handmade some special Christmas gifts for the special ones this Christmas.
One of the common and wonderful Christmas crafts are ornaments. Ornaments are perfect gifts as they can have many uses, like hanging on Christmas trees, placing on office tables, hanging on mobile phones or giving as items in party goody bags. A simple ornament can be made by just cutting out an animal shape from a felt or any unwanted cardboard, glued with big buttons as eyes and a bead as the nose. You can create any animal figures you love, using any colour you like. You could be very proud of these self-made cute and creative Christmas crafts.
Reindeer candy jar can also be a prefect Christmas craft idea. Look around in your house for any empty jar. Make sure you wash it clean. Find any brown felt or wrapping paper to wrap the jar up. Next, fix black buttons as the eyes, big red bead as the nose and curvy twigs as the antlers with glue. You may like to decorate the mouth with black marker. After ensuring that the glue is dry, let your kids fill the reindeer candy jar with all their favorite candies or cookies and there you go, a simple and nicely decorated Christmas craft.
For those who like to count down to Christmas day, Advent calendars can be creative Christmas crafts to provide an enjoyable way to do so. A simple way of making an Advent calendar is to get either a thick cardboard or construction paper and draw 25 boxes on it. You can decorate the border of the calendar with pure white cotton wool to create the feel of Christmas. Draw or print out pictures from computer of Santa Claus face, reindeer or snowman and cut them out. These cut out shapes are for you to stick on the 25 boxes. You would have to stick one cut out shape on one box per day. As such, you would need at least 25 cut out shapes. Start sticking a shape from the 1st of December and once you have completed sticking all the 25 boxes, it will be Christmas.
Another great idea is that you can make environmental friendly Christmas crafts by using last year’s used Christmas greeting cards, Christmas wrapping papers, tinsel or little paper ornaments which you have to cut them out so as to glue them on small jars. Next, cut out a circle shape from any cardboard and punch a hole big enough to hold a candle in the centre. Stick the cut out circle shape on top of a small jar with sticky tape. There you go; you would have nicely decorated candleholders for Christmas.
There are still many creative Christmas craft ideas you can think of on top of what I have mentioned here. Your Christmas craft does not have to be difficult to make. With just some simple tools and materials, you can come up with your very own creative craftsmanship.
Jeff Boo is an experienced educator with many years of experience and father of a pair of twins. He is also an Internet Marketer and freelanced writers who likes sharing his life experiences with people. Christmas is just round the corner; log on to http://www.christmasgiftideas.expertreviewslist.com to find out his ideas on what Christmas gifts you can get for your loved ones.
Author: Jeff Boo
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Most kids love crafts because they are fun and artistic. Many crafts are also educational and can be used to teach children of all ages about numbers, letters, animals, shapes, themes, science, and even stories about history or legends. The great thing about crafts is any kid can participate, and their finished product doesn’t have to be “perfect.”
Crafts are available for all ages and learning levels. There are fun activities for daycare and preschool kids, families, and even grandparents to enjoy with their grandchildren. There are also educational crafts for every season so there’s never a boring moment year round!
For younger kids, there are crafts using paper, crayons, soaps, putty, play dough, stickers, photos, toys, etc. For children ages 7-9, crafts are often a little more challenging and may involve watercolors or finger paints, beads, photo albums, scrapbooks, tie-dye materials, book covers, lunch boxes, dolls, and many other items. For older girls, there are some excellent quilting books for kids with a variety of patterns and colors. Older boys enjoy sports-related crafts or even scientific experiments!
Educate with Play Dough Crafts for Kids
Whether you’re a parent wanting to spend quality time with your child, or a daycare or preschool teacher, play dough provides a fun, clean activity to create animals, numbers, and even words. With play dough, kids can use their imagination (and their hands) to mold all sorts of shapes. Challenge them to mold certain characters or animals they see in a book. Or, get several kids together with play dough to create an entire village. Obtain a book of play dough recipes to help the kids sculpt their favorite animal or character. You can find play dough recipes for flowers such as daffodils and roses, snowmen, pigs, snails, cats, turtles, faces, fruit, butterflies, frogs, buildings, furniture, foods, and many other examples.
Puppet Shows
For older children, teach them to create their own puppets and put on a puppet show. The show doesn’t have to be elaborate… but it should definitely be fun for the kids! Choose a theme or story for the play from a book or play script, and provide photos or drawings of the characters so the kids can get an idea of how to create their puppets. Provide materials and instructions for creating puppets. Help with those parts that are difficult, but allow the children to use their creativity.
Use Crafts to Teach Gardening Techniques
Kids enjoy watching things grow, especially plants or foods they planted on their own. There are many educational crafts for kids centered on gardening. You can teach them to make their own flowerpots or garden bins. Have them decorate planters using their own method and materials, and then plant flowers, fruit, or vegetables. You can even make funny cup characters from foam cups by planting grass as the hair! Just draw a funny face on the cup, add rich soil, sprinkle some grass seeds on top, and add a little water every couple of days.
Cooking Crafts
Baking is another fun activity to go along with crafts. Have your kids make their own cookie jars and then bake some cookies to place in the jars. Or, bake a cake and teach them to decorate it with frosting, sprinkles, and other cake ornaments. Buy various shapes of pans and cutters for making cupcakes, cookies, and bread. Also, make creative popcorn treats for a movie night.
Other Educational Craft Themes
Some other themes that are both fun and educational include holiday crafts, toilet roll crafts, bible crafts, egg crate creations, sewing or quilting, beading, face painting, and flip flop crafts. Whatever theme you want to try, be sure to find an age-appropriate book with craft ideas. Craft books can show you how to create crafts for kids from start to finish and which materials and supplies are needed. For young quilters, quilting books offer detailed instructions on their level.
Crafts for kids give you a wonderful opportunity to teach your children about all aspects of life. Check out the many craft resources online today for more fantastic ideas!
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Author: Chris Robertson
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