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Any of this sound familiar?
“I don’t like doing crafts with my kids – I’m just not crafty.”
“I tried doing some crafts with my kids, but it didn’t turn out right.”
“Doing crafts, and getting the paint and glitter and all that out, just stresses me out.”
Let me spread some encouragement your way…
You can craft with your kids…even if you aren’t “crafty.” It might not look like you think it should. It may not even look like other people think it should. But, there are no rules on how you “have” to craft with your kids.
Don’t feel guilty because you think you can’t compete with all the gorgeous kid’s crafts on Pinterest. Just have some fun! Here’s some tips to get you started:
Keep it Simple
Doing a craft with your kids doesn’t mean picking a complicated craft with 10 ingredients or supplies and 30 steps. Keep it simple, and keep it to something you know you can handle.
Need some ideas?
-Sit down and draw with your kids. Doodling silly pictures counts! You don’t have to be an artist. My favorite drawing book to use with my kids is Ed Emberely’s Drawing Book of Animals – because all I need to do is draw some shapes and dots and bam, I’ve got a cute animal. Seriously – anyone can use this book to draw!
-Pull out the watercolors.
-Glue pieces of construction paper together to make something (anything!)
-Stickers and paper – The dollar store is a great place to find deals on stickers. You can also grab packs or books of stickers on Amazon – I’m thinking of grabbing this robot sticker book for my boys.
-Craft Kits – Amazon sells tons of amazing craft kits that provide everything you need to complete a project with your kiddo, and make it super easy to do crafts with your kids. You don’t have to hunt for supplies, and all you need to do is follow the directions. Here are some of my kid’s favorite kits:
-Print off some free printable crafts – Very little prep, you can just reprint if you mess up, and your kids have a toy to play with when they’re done. What’s not to love about that?!
Crafting with your kids doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be simple, sweet, and short. This is part of why I love printable crafts. All I have to do is print a page or two out, and let them go to town. Sometimes they need a little help with the cutting and glueing, but then in the end they have a toy to play with when they are finished.
If glitter stresses you out, don’t bring it in the house. Have a panic attack even thinking about letting your kids loose with paint? Just bring out the markers. Keep it simple.
You don’t have to follow the “rules”
You aren’t trying to help your kids create a masterpiece. You’re trying to encourage creativity and fun. Did the craft turn out nothing like the picture? Who cares. Are you missing 5 of the materials? Make do and have fun. Stressing over making it just right or trying to follow each instruction to a “T” is only going to ruin the experience.
You don’t have to be crafty to do crafts. Even doing something as simple as keeping art & craft supplies available – like construction paper, scissors, markers, & glue – can be enough to encourage your kids to craft. Print off some printable crafts to keep on hand, and let your kids have at it.
Just relax, have fun, and keep it simple!
P.S. Want to make crafting with your kids really easy? Grab my printable craft pack. It’s full of 20+ print-n-go crafts. All you need are scissors and glue!
