Children love crafting. It’s messy, colourful, engaging and satisfying, and the children benefit from working on their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, patience and self-expression.
Resources for children’s crafts are easy to come by. You can use disposable materials such as cardboard and sweet wrappers. In addition, many stores and websites sell craft items ranging from packs of colourful sequins and feathers to crochet blanket kits from a specialist retailer such as www.woolcouturecompany.com/collections/blanket-and-cushions-crochet-kits
Here are some ideas to keep your kids happily crafting.
Craft Ideas for Toddlers
Toddlers are still learning coordination and fine motor skills, so expect to get messy and have fun! Practice cutting skills by cutting up paper cupcake cases with safety scissors to make flowers. Or go on a leaf hunt, paint the leaves in a variety of bright colours and then press the painted side onto white card for a colourful leaf print.
Toddlers also love having their hands painted and then pressing them onto paper. There are all sorts of designs you can do – get inspiration online.
Craft Ideas for Preschoolers
Preschoolers are fine-tuning their hand and eye skills so crafting is great practice for them. Take advantage of improved cutting, sticking and painting skills.
Cut-up and painted egg box cartons can make great little creatures. Think tortoises, spiders and caterpillars. All small children love monsters. So, why not try painting and decorating empty tissue boxes, using the hole at the top as the monster’s mouth? Collaging is a great way of being creative. Any old scraps of paper, food and sweet wrappers or fabrics can be stuck onto cardboard to form a picture.
Craft Ideas for Primary School Children
Time to get more advanced! Wooden lollipop sticks and spoons can be decorated as favourite TV characters and used as bookmarks or puppets. Collect some smooth rocks or pebbles and paint them to look like bugs. Finish by sticking on googly eyes. Learn to knit and crochet. With practice, projects such as crochet blanket kits or woolly scarves can be attempted.
