Sarah Gunn, CityLine’s expert DIYer, has great suggestions for getting crafty with your kids this summer in her article, Old-School Summer Crafts Your Kids Will Love. Now she wants to make sure your crafting time is fun and safe, too! We chatted with her to get her top tips for successful crafting adventures with your little ones.
Be Prepared: Before you start, make sure you have everything you could possibly need for the craft and have it all out on the table so that you don’t have to leave the room at any time. Double-check that there’s enough glue left at the bottom of that bottle, and that you have the correct amount of each item needed.
Keep Your Craft Bin Well Stocked: If you keep some key crafting supplies in a bin at home, you’ll be ready to do last-minute projects at any time. Sarah’s craft bin includes: paper in a variety of colours, paint, glue, child scissors, patterned paper, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, glitter and recycled materials (such as cans, boxes, and toilet paper rolls).
Protect Your Kids’ Clothing: If your project involves paint, glue, or anything else that can get super messy, it’s a good idea to protect your kids’ clothing – whether it’s with a smock or just a set of older, shabby clothes. In Sarah’s house, her two boys often do their messy crafts without their shirts on!
Be Flexible: Sure, you might have a plan of how you want your craft to go or what you want the results to be, but you have to acknowledge that your kids’ may have an entirely different plan in mind! If your child is excited to take the project in a different direction, encourage that and allow them to do that. Don’t be too rigid, and your kids will enjoy getting to use their own creativity.
Be Present and Praise Their Work: Although we’re all guilty for using craft time as a time to keep your kids occupied while you get chores done, try to be present and part of the experience while they’re working on their projects. Don’t just set them up and then leave the room! Also, don’t forget to encourage what they’re doing and tell them how great their work is – even if it’s hideous!
Showcase Their Work: Once your kids are done creating their masterpieces, make sure you have a place to showcase it all. Whether it’s in their room, on a shelf, or on a bulletin board, it’s important to find a place to show it off so that everyone can see how great it is and your kids can feel proud of their work.