| This is a guest post by Victoria Crowdell . If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. |
These days, fewer and fewer children are engaging in crafty activities than ever before. In part that is because many families have fewer financial resources to take their children to expensive classes, and in part it is because many kids think that nothing is fun unless it is a video game. In reality, however, creating crafts with your kids can be incredibly affordable and fun, and it creates an excellent opportunity for your child to learn, grow and develop valuable skills. Enjoy these five fun-filled crafts together with your kids!
5. Paper making. This crafty idea may not sound like something kids would love, but kids really enjoy getting their hands dirty! Best of all, this fun-filled activity is a great opportunity for children to learn about recycling as well. With some old newspapers, water and a blender, you and quickly make some recycled paper with your kids. Tear the old papers up into small pieces, put them into the blender with some water, and then turn the blender on to create a grey slushy substance. Pour that substances out onto a flat surface and let it dry to create sheets of paper.
4. Once your newly made paper has dried, you can use it to create a book with your kids. Continuing along the recycling theme, you can cut old cereal boxes apart to use their cardboard as covers for the books. Use a hole-punch and yarn to tie the paper into the cover of the book, and your children can then come up with plenty of creative stories and illustrations to fill the book with.
3. Friendship bracelets. With some cheap pieces of colorful string, your kids can create wild bracelets for themselves or their friends. All theyâ ll have to learn how to do is to tie knots in various sequences in order to create beautiful patterned bracelets. Find all kinds of patterns online that you can access for free so you can help explain the process to your children. To tell their friends that they care about them, your kids can give these fun bracelets away as small gifts.
2. Eggshell mosaics. Start saving your egg shells, which you can use to create beautiful mosaics with your children. You can either die the eggshells first or paint them once you have affixed them onto their final material. Whichever you choose to do, break the eggshells up into small pieces. If you need help breaking the shells up, place them in a Ziploc bag and then hit the bag with your fist. Glue the small eggshell pieces onto another surface like a box, coasters, or a greeting card and arrange them into pictures to create beautiful works of art.
1. Make Your Own Play-Dough. With flour, salt, water and food coloring, you can help your child create their own play dough. It takes only a few minutes to mix those basic ingredients together, but it gives your child an introduction to what cooking and baking are like, and it leaves them with a fun toy that they can continue to play with while you work.
About the Author: Victoria Crowdell writes articles on family, home & garden and crafting is her passion is decorative candles.
Making your own “play dough” is a great idea and, a lot cheaper than buying it in store.