With a little bit of planning, I can turn an ordinary day with my four year old grandson into a “kid’s craft fun with Grandma day.” I arrive Mary Poppins-style with a tote bag full of supplies. We cut and paste and paint and spend the day having fun. Even if you don’t have a crafty bone in your body, a creative day with a little one can be fun and rewarding for grandma and Mom too.
A craft day doesn’t have to be expensive. Use what you have on hand. If you need more supplies, purchase them on sale or minimize costs with store coupons. Searching through colorful craft store displays with your grandchild can be part of the fun. Your crafts don’t have to be complicated. Do several simple 20 or 30 minute projects with rest periods, snacks and stories in between; and you’ll both have a super fun craft day.
The first two projects are paper crafts. They’re easy artwork for the refrigerator. To make them into a place mat or simply more durable, have them inexpensively laminated at an office supply store.
#1 – My name is… (20 minutes)
To spell out your grandchild’s name in colorful letters you’ll need these supplies:
Variety pack of construction paper School glue Kid safe scissors
My grandson spelled out his name and I cut the letters. He did the rest.
Let your little one make all the color choices. Give him a colorful piece of construction paper. Draw, then cut the letters out in order, one at a time. Show your grandchild how to glue on the first letter, then let him do the rest by himself. Make sure he signs his work, even if it’s just a scribble. Add a date, so you’ll always remember the day.
#2 – Letter collage (30 minutes)
Help your grandchild create a colorful letter collage. Use the same materials as in project #1.
Draw and cut out a large letter. Make it almost as big as the sheet of construction paper. Glue the letter to a contrasting piece of paper. Cut up several colors of paper into small pieces. Glue them one at a time onto the letter until it’s completely covered and colorful.
#3 – My favorite things (1 hour)
To help your grandchild create a wooden arrangement of his favorite things you’ll need:
Several colors of water based craft paint Small die-cut wooden shapes: My grandson and I found some painted and unpainted shapes for about 30 cents each. Small unpainted wooden plaque (under a dollar) Paint brushes Plastic frozen meal containers to hold paint and water
With supervision, your grandchild should be able to do most of the work by himself
Painting gets messy, so cover his clothes with an old tee. Cover the work surface with newspaper. Let your grandchild decide how he wants to arrange his “favorite things” on the wooden plaque Paint the wooden plaque. Paint your unpainted wooden pieces Have a snack while the pieces are drying, otherwise it will seem like it’s taking forever. When the paint is dry, glue the pieces onto your plaque.
To display your finished craft, set it on a small easel or stick a picture hanger to the back.
#4 – A Big Letter (1 hour)
See “Make a Big Letter for a Preschooler’s Wall” for instructions to make a letter with layers of cardboard. It’s a great craft day project for an older child. A younger child can do it if mom or grandma do the cutting. The big letter is a little too large for the fridge, but it will make a perfect wall hanging.
#5 – Crafty Kids Necklace
If you have a few extra wooden shapes, have your child paint them and glue them together. Add a hole and a cord for a fun kid’s necklace.
These simple craft projects are just the beginning. Start a habit of regularly checking the craft store shelves and you’ll find lots of bargain supplies for your next crafty session. My 4 year old grandson and I found a “Peace” necklace kit for 9 cents, He was able to assemble it in less than 10 minutes.There’s no telling what creative projects you might find for your next Kid’s Craft Fun With Grandma day.
Source:
My crafty grandma brain