Crafts Guide for the Family
Sometimes it is hard to find one activity to do as a family that everyone can agree on. Having a fun craft night or day can be one way that everyone can have their unique spin on a project while still enjoying each other's company. Craft projects create some nice decor for your home, and making them benefits kids and their development. Crafts involve a lot of different skills and ways of using your hands and brain. These activities help kids hone their fine motor skills, from folding to coloring to gluing, to sewing. Particularly for younger kids, it teaches them essential skills they will need in preschool and kindergarten, like using scissors and holding writing utensils. Expressing themselves creatively through arts and crafts is a way to understand how children feel and think when language is harder for them as they are growing up. Another benefit to getting the kids to spend time with sequins and construction paper is keeping them away from screens. Doing activities that promote creativity and problem-solving helps to use the brain differently. Screen time is alright in moderation, but exercising other areas of your brain is highly beneficial to keep all parts of your mind strong. Doing arts and crafts also helps to relieve anxiety and stress. It is an excellent way to turn off one part of the brain and turn on another. Stepping away from academic activities like homework tasks to take time to be creative is a form of relaxation and can be a great de-stressor. Additionally, it provides a space to spend time with family and friends in a fun and meaningful way.
Because arts and crafts are a form of self-expression, they can help kids understand themselves differently. Their imagination is allowed to run wild and do things in a way that is not so systematic. Doing arts and crafts also promotes problem-solving and resilience. Often, an arts and crafts project will turn out differently than originally intended. This teaches kids how to take a problem and solve it imaginatively. Another skill arts and crafts teach kids is patience. Making something from scratch takes time, and kids must have patience when creating. This can be during the creative process or after, like waiting for the paint to dry. Knowing how to wait for things is an essential skill that will carry over into adulthood, and kids will feel a sense of accomplishment in the long run, knowing they made something and saw it through.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to arts and crafts. As long as there are some materials and the desire to be creative, anything can be a part of an arts and crafts night. Certain activities take a little more finesse and time to create, but no matter what medium is used, it will result in the development of fine motor skills and an outward form of self-expression! Many skills learned as a kid through imagination and creativity will be crucial to their development into an adult. These skills will become important in school and professional careers. When co-workers must collaborate, employees need to use effective problem-solving. Whatever the stage in life, flexing the imagination muscles is essential to becoming a creative and forward-thinking individual who can use skills from certain situations and apply them to others. Starting these experiences young and with families helps to create well-rounded people. And it all starts with a bit of glitter and glue!
Jewelry
DIY Jewelry Crafts for Kids
Necklace Crafts and Other Jewelry
Jewelry Making Tutorials
Gold and Silver Bracelets
Introduction to Beading and Jewelry Making
Giftable Jewelry