(Kids) Crafts........

As a babysitter and one who loves crafts in general as well, I am always looking for new ideas to share with the little ones I watch. Does anyone else do crafts? with kids?? I just thought maybe we could share some of our "tried and true" arts and crafts projects so that others may be able to reference back here to stretch their creative "niche" per say. I named the thread (Kids) Crafts......because even though it would be so great to have new ideas for the kids, I am also interested in crafts in general. ANYTHING crafty anyone cares to share would be welcome!!

So.....I will start....

'POCKETS'

I take an old pair of jeans (or any pants made with "heavier type" material) and cut off the back pockets KEEPING THE POCKET ITSELF IN TACT, I then add a magnet to the back of it (so they can be put on the frig!) and let the kids decorate it with whatever I have on hand. I have done this with Mother's Day or Father's Day or Christmas in mind, and give them appropriate embellishments, or just as a spur of the moment fun thing to do, with whatever I have.....kids even love gluing old jigsaw puzzle peices on the pockets! The embellishments can be as wide a variety as your imagination, your available items, and as the Elmers glue will be able to hold on!!! Just keep in mind if you are doing this as a "take home item" (meaning with kids that are not your own! haha) that the glue usually takes a bit to dry. If done as a gift for Mom or Dad (or Auntie, etc.) I will sometimes also have available little notebooks and pens (or small embellishments that make sense to the gifts receiver-or the occasion it is being given for) to stick inside the pockets. The true "beauty" of this idea is that there is no real "right" or "wrong" way for them to do this.....whatever you offer and they LIKE is A-OK!!!!

Just as a side note, I have on my profile an album of pictures of some of my general crafts. If anyone wants to take a peek and maybe let me know which ones you like?? I'd enjoy that too!

Looking forward to some new ideas!!!

Nanabean, I'm not exactly creative but I do love getting ideas and wish I was. I looked at you album, you are so creative! My favorite was the personalized planter, lol I really liked them! Just thought I'd let you know that =]

When I were younger my baby sitter used to hard boil some eggs for us then we'd paint them
Not sure what there is in America but over here we have a shop that sells boxes of craft stuff. Like for one set they give you wooden spoons and materials to make puppet wooden spoons

In kindergarden we'd sometimes be given a small dash of plaster that was still wet (on a cardboard piece), some matches or other small sticks and some paint. Then we'd put the match in paint and run it through the plaster to create patterns in it with colorful lines I used to love it

Hi everybody! I had 'bout given up on this thread since it has been so long since anyone has posted on it!! I thught maybe it had even been closed.....

aeon.....I do love my job! and crafting! and when I get the chance to combine the two, it's awesome! The kids really enjoy it and get pretty creative each in their own way....I like when a group of five or six kids are each one given the same basic materials and they each put their own "mark" on it....personalities shine!

imTastik......I will be hard boiling eggs tomorrow for three kids to dye (paint?) for Easter. I use food coloring, because even if the shells crack and it gets on the eggs themselves, it won't matter, we can still eat 'em! America does have craft kits for things like your wooden spoon puppets, we have whole craft stores full of kits and items to be used for general crafting. I alot of times use some things that they weren't even originally meant to be used for though!!! hahaha!

wwjd_kilden.....oh please explain more!! I'd love to try that!! Can you use it once it is dry for a picture frame?? or??

Oh I hope this thread picks up now..it's fun to read other's ideas! Thanks for posting!

not sure how to explain more, I havent done it since I was about five

uhhm, I guess you could use it as a picture frame yes. We would only have small blob that was smeared out a bit and then draw patterns in it (almost like when you scrape on thse scrape foil thingys), only that we'd do it more carefully and with paint on the tools.

it's basically drawing in/on wet plaster really. I don't know how solid it would be as a frame though, I think you'd need to put it onto something solid and make sure it stuck if that were the intended use

Nanabean,

How old are the children you babysit?

My niece is nearly two. I don't do any crafting with her (mostly because I am to clumsy). She loves to play the piano with me (she sits on my lap). Her piano style is very open-minded

Just curious

wwjd_kilden....Ohhhhhhhhhh NOW I am seeing it more as put a magnet on the back?? Boy..for a crafter I sure was dense on this one!! **thinks she has it now**

Belgian_Pilot.....I babysit kids from infancy to as old as they may need a babysitter as my schedule will allow. Right now, I have 8 children I watch regularly, but never all at once (I can and will only watch any 6 at one time---but rarely have more than four at any one time) I have a rotating schedule as to when I watch for each family. I also just interviewed for a new infant, so am praying for the call that says I have the job!!

I normally wait till they are at least two to two and a half before I do limited crafting with them, but the earlier the better I say! hahaha! I always tell the moms & dads I work for that the most important aspect of crafting for children of any age, is the process of doing it, NOT what the finished project looks like! They MADE it..therefore it should be treasured. (However, I do allow for some projects to be treasured till the next one or so, then thrown out, because you simply cannot save everything they ever made.....especially with a babysitter like me who has them active in crafting almost every other day!)

Spending time with your niece is the most important thing you can give her as she grows up. I adore the idea of you sharing the piano experience with her!!! How wonderful! Crafting is MY thing...but ANY way you can share time with a child is precious and will be memories for both of you! She won't grow up and ask "Uncle Whoooooo????"

Here's a great one to do with recyclables!

get the biggest cereal box you can get ( I bought cereal from a wholesale club store, with two bags in each box??) and have the kids "wrap" the boxes in tin foil. (shiney side out is cool--also if you have colored tin foil that's always fun too) All you have to do next is give them any and all the plastic containers you have collected up and let them come up with how to use them to make a robot! yogurt cups, frosting containers, those little milk jugs from McDonalds, snack cups (ie from applesauce, puddings, fruit) anything you can think of! Tape even actually works best which is nice for the younger ones who just like to pour glue everywhere! hahhaa... Have fun!!!

we would just put the cardboard on the wall, but I guess putting a magnet on the back would be way cooler