Since the pandemic, children have been spending more time at home so maybe it's a good idea to stock up on crafting materials to keep them busy making stuff. With the quarantine, kids cannot really go out and play as much as they used to. That is why it is good to make sure you have enough materials to do some crafts with the kids to keep them busy. Not to mention that crafting is good for their development and helps them stay away from tv or computer screens for a bit. Additionally, it is a fun way to spend some quality time while the family is home.
What Supplies Should I Buy?
If you are not sure on what to buy, a good idea is to go on Pinterest and search for crafts. If one catches your eye, try looking into the supplies needed for it.
However, if you are not sure on supplies and you just want to make sure you have some for a rainy (or snowy) day, you should have the following: glue, pencils and pens, paint, paint brushes, canvas of varying sizes, construction paper, googly eyes, and scissors. These supplies are usually pretty common in most crafting projects and you should be covered if you have them at home.
Upcycle
A fun way to teach the kids that you can create something out of what would otherwise get chucked away, is by upcycling something. If you have empty toilet paper rolls lying around, a fun craft to make are toilet paper roll penguins or snowmen. This cute little project only requires an empty toilet paper roll, construction paper, scissors, a marker, glue, and tape.
Each kid can create a cute little character. To make it even more creative and fun for them, have them come up with a little play to put together. This will not only help them build up motor skills while crafting their character, but they will also put their creativity at work to create a fun little story to act out for the parents.
Bookmarks
A simple craft that only requires the basic craft supplies and construction paper is a bookmark. All you need to do is cut a rectangle big enough to poke out of the kid's book, and decorate it whichever way they would like. It is a fun way to have the kids pick a book to read during the afternoon and make a bookmark themed around the book. To make it even better for the child's development, talk about the book. This helps the child assimilate what he or she learned from the book better and it is a fun way to spend some quality time together.
Paint
Painting is something the whole family can do. If you have teenagers, there are more advanced painting kits in the market. You can also just get a canvas of varying sizes, paint, and brushes, and just have everyone decide what they want to paint. Later on, you can even display the art and make a little art gallery of fun memories about the quality time you spent together as a family.
Winter Writing
If you have kids who love to makeup stories, a fun way to spend time together is to come up with a themed writing prompt. You can all come up with a story together, or each child can write his or her own story and then read out loud for the family.
This is a good way to have the kids use their imagination and writing skills. If you have a kid who does not like writing that much, but loves drawing, have him or her do a comic strip. It's best to play to your child's strengths, rather than force them to do something they don't feel confident doing.
Spending quality time with the children is fun for everyone, and although it may be difficult to keep the little one's attention off the TV or computer screens, even an hour a week doing arts and crafts is better than nothing.
Crafts help kids use their imagination and put skills that they learn in school to the test at home. If some aspects of these activities do not work for your kids, feel free to adapt the activity to something that your kid will like more. The important part of this is that you and your kids have fun and spend some quality time together.
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