by
Amy Allen Clark
I
am not a crafty person, although if someone could become a
crafty lady on just a strong desire and urge to craft, I would
be the queen of crafting. Instead of throwing my hands up
and telling my kids that mommy just can't do that stuff, I
have made a commitment to be as creative as I can be. This
may mean looking to others for guidance and lugging out a
zillion books from the library, but I will do the best I can
with my limited abilities. I want my children to remember
how fun their mom was and how she wasn't afraid to craft with
them, even if their projects looked ten times better than
hers.Let's face it though, for people like me, crafting is
a lot of work. When creativity doesn't come naturally you
may have to work at it more, but it can be a wonderful way
to bond with your children and to teach them an appreciation
for the arts. Here are some things that we are trying in our
house:
Designate
a spot in your house for all things crafty that will make
it easier to organize your items. It can be something as simple
as a plastic crate or it can be a cabinet where you store
your art supplies. For houses with limited space, under-the-bed
organizers can be a great place to store all of your supplies.
Try to keep this stocked with paper, colored pencils, crayons,
popsicle sticks, felt, scissors, pipe cleaners and anything
else that can keep your child entertained.
Start
keeping a file folder of craft ideas for your children. When
you see something in a magazine or website, tear it out or
make a copy of it for your file folder. When you need a stroke
of inspiration in your day, pull out the file and work from
that.
If
you do a lot of work on the computer or find it easier to
keep track of projects virtually, set a favorites button on
your web browser for craft projects. I keep a virtual notebook
of all the things that I would like to try, and we try to
do one project each week from this notebook and document it
for remembering.
Composition
books are inexpensive and are a great way to keep your children
entertained. Younger children can draw pictures to tell stories
and older children can fill these with tales from their own
imagination. These composition books can also be made into
nature books and you can send your children out to explore
what is in their own backyard. Reference books and field guides
can offer additional assistance in finding, discovering and
drawing what they find in nature. This not only makes them
more aware of what is around them, but it also can offer a
wonderful educational experience for learning about leaves,
birds, bugs and plant types. Pair a composition notebook with
binoculars and send them on an exploration trip for the day.
Don't
be afraid to take your crafting show on the road. Some of
the more messy crafts are great for outdoors and can keep
the mess contained outside. Younger children especially love
doing things unexpected outdoors and it is much easier to
hose them down if they get a little carried away with their
painting
Really
the best way to teach your children about crafting is to be
an example to them. When my kids see me working on something,
they immediately want me to get out their own supplies so
that they can be crafting alongside me. This is a special
time for all of us and it is great to be able to share in
our work together.
Crafty
Resources:
The
Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule
The Busy Book for Preschoolers by Trish Kuffner
The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions by John E. Thomas
FamilyFun.com
DLTK-Kids.com
KidsCraftWeekly.com
Crafty
Recipes:
Fun
Sidewalk Paint
1/4
cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
6-8 drops food coloring
Mix
cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl. Add food
coloring and stir. Repeat the process to create different
colors of paint. This paint can easily be washed away with
water. You can use it to make hopscotch grids, cakewalks,
even make believe roads and highways for toy cars.
Pudding
Paint
1
large package of instant vanilla pudding (3.4 oz)
2 cups ice-cold water (less if you want to have more of a
finger painting consistency)
Food coloring
Whisk
water and instant pudding together in a bowl for two minutes.
Refrigerate for five minutes. Divide into several small bowls
or muffin tins. Add 5-7 drops of food coloring to each bowl
or tin and mix. You can paint with a brush or use them as
finger paints.
Edible
Play Dough
1/4
cup peanut butter
1/2 cup dry milk
1/2 Tbs. honey
Plastic zip bag
Pour
peanut butter, dry milk, and honey into a plastic zip bag.
Close bag and knead until mixture turns to dough. Do not reuse
or store this dough. You can use raisins and assorted candies
to add eyes, mouths, and other features to your edible creations.
Fruity
Play Dough
1
cup flour
1 package Kool-AidKool-Aid (any flavor)
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup salt
3/4 cup boiling water (the original recipe called for one
cup of boiling water, but I found it made the dough too loose-
aim for 3/4 cup and add more if needed)
Mix
all dry ingredients in bowl then oil, then pour boiling water
in and mix thoroughly. Wrap in cellophane or air tight container
and store in fridge. The play dough should last a few months.
Invisible
Ink
2
Tbs. pure lemon juice
Cotton swab
Pour
lemon juice into a small glass or plastic dish. Soak one end
of the cotton swab to write a secret message or draw a picture
on a sheet of paper. When you are ready to view your secret
message have an adult hold the sheet of paper near a light
bulb. The heat will slowly turn the lemon juice dark brown
and reveal a hidden message.
Tornado
in a Bottle
1-
16 oz clear plastic soda bottle with a cap (the rounder the
bottom the better the tornado)
2 drops clear liquid dish detergent
1 tsp. glitter
Fill
the bottle with cold water. Add liquid dish detergent and
glitter to the bottle. Screw on the cap tightly. Holding the
bottle by the neck, turn it upside down. Quickly rotate your
wrist several times in a clockwise motion. When you stop rotating,
a min-tornado will form inside the bottle. Using permanent
markers, you can draw a picture of a city or landscape around
the bottom of the plastic bottle. Add a few drops of blue
food coloring to the bottle to create a sky effect.
