Children and Craft

I must admit that since Violet has been born I find it difficult to find time to sit down and craft with my oldest two. But they often end up coming up with their own original craft ideas anyway.  Here are a few that I managed to capture.

Julia's version of "memory" cards (unfortunately they got a little wet)

Julia's "handbag"

Taken back in January - church in pastels

Some idea's for time poor craft mums (this is me right now!)

• Try to save some of your recyclables such as cereal boxes, egg cartons, yoghurt containers, toilet rolls etc. Perfect for gluing paper or things like cotton wool onto (flour and water is a great glue stand-by), adding glitter to,  colouring with texta's etc. My kid's recently made a miniature city out of toilet rolls, drawing on windows etc.
• I have a big drawer in the kitchen with good quality pencils, pastels and crayons that the kid's can help themselves with.
• When they get tired of their colouring books, we can find specific things to colour in on the internet. Luca loves tower pictures.
• Limit television viewing as kid's are more imaginative when they are able to get a little bored.
• For reluctant boy crafters try paper aeroplanes. There are lots of helpful websites available. Mine love to colour them in too.
• Provide staples and paper so they can write and illustrate their own story or activity books. Julia thought of this one on her own, and I remember doing this as a kid too. I had my own "series".
• This site has wonderful little buildings to download and cut out. 

My kids are fortunate that at the local village school they now have an art teacher who is an artist that does a lot of work in oils. The kid's at the school have done some wonderful charcoal drawings recently.