Kids Crafts Activities

Plaster casting can provide hours of fun, Be careful to follow the instructions for mixing the plaster very carefully. What to cast? Hand prints and footprints are great fun to do, get a shallow bowl of damp sand, not too wet just enough that it will hold the impression of a hand or foot print then pour in the plaster and wait for it to set. While it's freshly poured you could push a loop of string into one end of the wet plaster so the finished cast could be hung on the wall. When your cast is dry from lying in the sun or being placed in the linen cupboard it can be painted or decorated with glitter.

Plaster casts of young children's hands and feet can make great keepsakes and wonderful gifts for grandparents. Sea shells collected on the beach can be glued to all sorts of objects from bottles to cigar boxes which can then be used as bases for table lamps or holders for keepsakes. Larger shells can be painted and used as decorative objects in their own right.

Tin can stilts, can be made from old coffee cans, you'll need two cans per child and some lengths of string or soft rope. Punch a hole in the side of a can about one inch from the end using a nail. Use a screwdriver to enlarge the hole until it's big enough for your string or rope to pass through use the hammer to flatten any sharp edges. Make another hole on the opposite side of the can, cut two lengths of string or rope each length should be about 3 times the length from the kid's knee to the floor. Now put one end of the rope through the hole on one side of the can and tie a large knot on the inside of the can. Repeat on the other side, do the same with the other can.

Want loads more great craft ideas to keep your kids happy? just go to Crafts For Kids

Kids Craft Activities - A Homeschool Perspective

One of the joys of homeschooling kids is being able to incorporate kids craft activities into their curriculum. Kids craftwork activities for ages 4 to 9 years, specifically sewing, is a fantastic way to aid the development of your child's fine motor skills. (Both Maria Montessori and Rudolph Steiner agree on this fact!) The amount of co-ordination needed to aim a needle at a particular spot appears to be huge. Despite this a 4 year old will soon manage without assistance. You'll be amazed at the skill really young children show when sewing.

It is best to start children off on a simple kids craft activity project that involves more threading and less stitching, until they get used to the needle. One of first Homeschool kids craft time projects we recommend is to make a "Homeschool Rainbow Snake". A Rainbow Snake is a needle threaded with about 30cm of thread. A knot is made at the end of the thread. A small piece of felt (2cm x 2cm) is threaded down to the knot. Then the child threads beads, bits of felt, buttons and bells until the thread is full. A small space is left at the top of the thread to tie off the snake and to tie a string at the top in order to hang the new "Homeschool Rainbow Snake".

Once a simple kids craft activity project is completed, small felt objects and animals can be made. The simpler the craft activity pattern the better.

Kids craft activities have many benefits, such as developing fine motor skills as well as definitely having a calming effect on most children. It's been my experience that children who usually struggle to concentrate can spend huge amounts of time crafting and sewing. It is not unusual for a child to spend up to 2 hours creating their masterpiece.

No matter what curriculum is being used. Whether it's a home school curriculum or a public school curriculum every child will benefit from having time spent on kids craft activities. Their imagination is engaged and as this happens their world is expanded. By using their imagination they are able to learn with ease. Isn't this what childhood is all about? Learning happens through play and fun kids craft activities.

To learn more about Kids Craft Time Activities, visit my site at Our Homeschool Journey for more information.

Feel free to distribute this article in any form as long as you include this resource box.