Crafts for Kids

It seems that we have become a society of complainers. People love to complain about how different our children are growing up compared to how we were raised, yet no one wants to take responsibility for this. If our children are spending time doing things that we see as unhealthy is it not our responsibility as adults to provide them with other activities?

When I was growing up Sundays were family days. We would either have relatives over for dinner or we would be invited to a relative’s home. The main meal of the day was eaten at noon. In the afternoon the adults would play cards and the children would play outside in the summer and in the winter we would make some type of crafts. Who ever was hosting the Sunday gathering would supply the crafts for kids. It was during the Sunday afternoons that I learned to sew, paste, stamp and make jewelry. Many of the projects were simple things that we could complete in an afternoon, but others would be things that we would work on for several weeks. My aunts as well as my mother were very creative in coming up with crafts for kids that held our interest and improved our skills.

Now that I am a parent I have kept the Sunday tradition going with my children. We stay home more than we go to relatives, but the day includes a large meal at noon and crafts for kids in the afternoon. We started doing this as soon as the children could safely handle the items needed to create different crafts. Now that the children are getting older they sometimes include friends in the crafts for kids time on Sundays, but they do not ask to not participate. Once in a while there is some complaining about not being able to play on the computer, but this usually ends as the craft projects are worked on. I still enjoy doing different projects so I am able to come up with many different crafts for kids that are fun and help them learn to create.

My daughter has taught me how to knit. She wanted to make a scarf that required knowing how to knit. She bought a video that showed how to make the scarf step by step; she then showed me how to make one. Crafts for kids do not have to be elaborate or expensive. The main goal is to help children realize that they can create things with their hands and also to have a period of time each week when you can relax and enjoy the company of family members.