Do you want do buy yourself a half an hour of time with out kids in your hair to do laundry, make dinner or I don't know.... read a book? Well, instead of plopping them in front of a screen have some activities plans and prepared you can grab when you need a minute. I have a number of parents who ask me how to do our daycare craft projects at home and I have many fun and easy ideas of how to get more crafty with your kids. One of my very best ideas ever (if I do say so myself) was the craft boxes I made for my kids for Christmas this year. I bought twelve plastic shoe boxes and filled each one with all the supplies they would need to complete one arts and craft project. Some are messier than others so I also bought myself a very pretty oil cloth for my dining room table!
Some Craft Box Ideas:
Rock Painting
Animal noses, (cut out egg cartons, pipe cleaners and string)
Brown paper bag puppets
Box car, (empty juice box, egg carton wheels, straw axels and plastic lid wind shield)
Collage, (old magazine and scissors)
Rain sticks, (paper towel tube, beans, foil and tape to close the ends)
Recipes for Play:
Goo - Is it solid or is it liquid?!
16 ox box of corn starch
About 1 1/2 cups of water
-mix 'till smooth then pour and PLAY!
Ornament Dough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
-knead until combined, then roll out to 1/4 inch thick (may need extra flour for dusting surface)
-grab some cookie cutters and have the kids help cut out shapes ( make a hole now if you plan on hanging them or stringing them for necklaces, a straw works best)
-place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes
-when hard and cool let the kids paint them!
Play Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
-mix together then cook in large pan over med heat 'till stiff.
- place on work surface to cool and knead in color.
Color ideas, (instead of food coloring) try beet, spinach or carrot juice. Frozen blue berries work well too, but are a little pricy!
Mix in some texture by adding oatmeal, cornmeal and coffee grounds for a sensory experience!
The possibilities are endless! I know there are parents reading this and they are worried about the mess, but I think this is an opportunity for you to let go a little and to teach your children how to clean up after themselves. Kids are messy, show them how to pick up! And for those of you saying, "My kid won't do that by them-self. They're going to ask me to do it for them!" I think your response to the child should be, "This is your artwork, if I made it then it would be mine, I want you to make one for yourself." Then step back and let them work, it may take a few tries but like everything else in life practice makes perfect and your child will learn independent play.
Gook Luck!
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