TIPS FOR CRAFTING WITH KIDS

Crafting with kids can be hard. And stressful. Sometimes it's not even fun at all. So why do it? I'm sharing with you the real benefits that I've seen and some tips to make crafting a little bit easier.

Benefits

Increase in patience. For both the mom (or dad) and the child. I know, you probably have more than enough opportunities to increase your patience. So this benefit is mostly for the children. Kids want things fast and they want to touch whatever they see, the second they see it. When working on a project, they can't always touch everything and that teaches them that if they want to help... they have to wait. Waiting is good for kids (delayed gratification).

Think about yourself for a minute. Don't you love that feeling right after you've created something new all by yourself? You feel like a million bucks, right? Crafting and creating allows children to feel that same feeling of accomplishment and teaches them that they are capable of making something. Sometimes on their own and sometimes with a bit of help!

I'm gonna get a little 'teacher-y' on you right now. Exposing children to different art forms helps them to develop artistic talents as well as the right side of their brain. So basically I'm telling you that creating art (crafting with kids) is important for development. As an educator, I've seen many schools pull away from the arts despite the fact that studies have shown that experiences with art help increase a child's learning in all other areas. But it does take time, effort and a decent amount of preparation and as we said before... patience!

Last BIG benefit I've personally seen. Crafting gives me a chance to teach other topics and life lessons in a non-threatening, fun environment. It's like teaching a lesson without the formal sit-down lesson, which has been really beneficial for Lanae's learning style. I love sneaking a little learning into everything.

check out this post to see how my 2 year old made this graph

Keep in mind that what I'm sharing is my personal experience, so feel free to take any thoughts and ideas I'm sharing and try them out in your own way. I don't expect you'll have the exact same results as I have, but hopefully these tips will help you be more successful in your daily projects.

Tips

Tip #1 Communicate clearly before, during and after. This is the most important tip that I can give. It makes a world of difference when I want to do a project with Lanae. In fact, talking about the crafts that we are going to be working on is an added incentive for good behavior...

When you're tucking your child in the night before a planned project tell them what they will be able to create the next day. Be excited about it! Remind them in the morning about the project and tell them when you'll be working on it... For us it is when Owen goes down for his morning nap. Talk it up lots! Right before you start, explain what tools you'll be using and what your expectations are.

When we start the project, we will do it in short and easy steps. I'll show her what to do and explain how before she goes. This way it's not too overwhelming and she gets to do each step on her own.

After they complete each step... communicate PRAISE.

Tip #2 Have realistic expectations. You need to set your expectations based off of your child's age and capabilities. Kids thrive off of expectations, it helps them feel secure. Also determine your goals for the project. There are times when I want Lanae to have complete ownership of a project (like the ant food art, here); so I won't intervene much. But then there are other times when a craft or project serves a future educational purpose. In that case, I offer help when needed so that it turns out a certain way--like these projects.

Tip #3 Be patient and keep it positive: It may be frustrating at times. Little ones are curious and want to touch and try everything. So you are going to need to be very very patient. If they lose interest, its okay. You can leave off and try again another time. If crafting is new to you and your child, it may take a while to work together and be successful at crafting. But kids are quick. They learn patterns and routines. No matter how often you craft, you will still need patience... because they are kids.

Tip #4 Set up a routine. The more you craft, the easier the whole process gets. Communicating will come more naturally and your kids will understand your expectations. Crafting will be something that both you and your kids look forward to.

For us, we have lessons Monday, Wednesday and Thursday right after I put Owen down for his morning nap. We usually have at least one craft activity a week. We always have a celebration activity on Friday and we'll usually do a quick craft or activity each week in the evening when Scott comes home so he can participate in her learning. She loves activities with daddy!

Tip #5 Have fun. If there is any opportunity to let your kids just go at it and be creative without limits... do it! After they have completed a project that you had higher expectations for... give them a blank slate and see what they can do on their own. I have found if you promise that free creativity time, it will definitely motivate them and make them really excited. That's what you want when you're crafting!

Tip #6 Give them responsibilities that will help them feel empowered. One of the most fun parts of crafting is the clean-up. Lanae loves helping with clean-up, especially if it involves water... like washing out paint brushes. I always let her wash out the paint brushes first. Then I'll do it a little later to make sure its done right. Giving her the opportunity teaches responsibility and helps her feel a little more independent.

Tip #7 Show excitement about what your kids can accomplish. It is definitely not hard to praise your kids for what they create. But sometimes we forget. This is an important tip because it encourages kids to do their best and be more creative in the future. It also just makes them feel good about something that they should feel good about... creating something!

I hope that you found something helpful from these tips. If you loved something specific or if you want to share something that has worked for you... I would love it if you would share in the comments below!

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