10 Slam-Dunk Crafts For Little Kids -- And Bigger Kids Too!
By Chris Yates
Crafting with young children really isn't about creating
something in particular. Most young children don't have the
foresight to see what a project is going to be.
For young children it's more important that they have the
opportunity to play and experiment with art. Kids need to use
as many of their senses as possible to get the most out of
crafting. This allow them to try new sensory experiences, as
well as learn causal relationships.
These are my 10 favorite crafts for little kids based on all
that AND the 'fun factor.'
1. Finger painting: Finger painting is a wonderful activity
for kids. It lets them 'feel' the craft as well as be
creative. You don't have to have finger paints to do this
activity with kids. You can finger paint with homemade paint,
watercolors or even mud. You can also experiment with adding
other things to the paint such as sand or glitter.
2. Yarn Painting: Dip pieces of string or yarn into paint
and then drag it across the paper to paint with it. It's a
good experience to paint with something other than a brush and
you can just throw the yarn away when finished.
3. Q-Tip Painting: Use Q-tips to create a painting. There
are lots of ways to use a Q-tip - scrub, dot, or use it like a
brush. It's a good coordination exercise because Q-tips are
small around, but it also provides a lot of interest for the
child.
4. Glue Art: Draw squiggle lines on a piece of paper or let
the child use their finger to make random glue spots or
patterns on a piece of paper. Experiment with adding different
objects to the glue. Sand, glitter, cotton, yarn, feathers,
and tissue paper all work well.
5. Salt Dough Sculpture: Make a batch of salt dough and turn
the kids loose with it. You don't have to worry about them
eating it (it's safe and tastes terrible) and clean up is
easier than play dough. If you want to keep their creations,
let them dry overnight and then paint them the next day.
6. Toe Painting: If it's a warm summer day, put on the
swimsuits, put some finger paint into pie tins, lay out large
sheets of poster paper, and let them 'paint' all afternoon.
They will have a ball and all you have to do is hose them off
when they are done (that's my kids' favorite part actually!)
7. Found Object Art: This project is always a sure thing
because kids love to 'discover' things. Let your child gather
up leaves, sticks, flowers, etc. and then glue them onto a
piece of paper. When they are done, let them tell you about
their collection.
8. Peanut Pictures: Every kid loves to play with packing
peanuts -- but it makes such a mess. Let them create pictures
with them instead. Kids can draw on them, glue them to a sheet
of paper, or glue the peanuts to each other to make a sculpture.
The kids will love it!
9. Sticker Play: Turn your child loose with a bunch of
stickers, markers, and a sheet of paper and let them create.
It's good for little ones to work on their coordination, and
it's fun!
10. Stamping: Kids love to use any kind of stamps. My
favorites are the self-inking stamps or the double-sided markers
with the stamps on one end. This may sound like pure play, but
is also teaches young children cause and effect. About the Author Chris Yates makes it Easy to craft with Little Kids and
Create a little Magic Time with Hundreds of Project Ideas. Visit Little Kid Crafts Now!
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