4.12.2007

Crafting with kids


I strongly believe in encouraging creativity in kids by letting them have materials for art and crafts available and on the other hand having somebody to teach them what to do with those materials. Of course they would learn how to use scissors and glue when they go to day care or play school, but because I like crafting so much, I like to teach those things myself and I know this makes it easier for the teachers as well.

It makes me so happy, when my three- year-old wants to do some crafting, because for a long time, she didn't have so much interest in cutting, using glue, stamping etc. She gets frustrated very easily when she is not able to do things the way she wants them to be, so letting her experiment with different materials freely is usually better than having a real project to finish. However, these ornaments we managed to finish together without big drama, because I did the base as sturdy as possible and she got to decorate them. Like any girl of her age she worships glitter glue. I have hard time saving some glitter for my own projects. Well, the advent calender will contain a few shades of the glittery stuff for her.

The 18-months-old makes these crafting sessions even more challenging, because she still needs to taste everything. Oh yes, glittery glue has been found in her mouth many a times. But it's such a joy seeing her to mess with the tape, glue stickers with a full concentration or make her own drawings. A roll of tape can keep her busy quite a while.

I don't need my kids to be the first to learn anything and I don't need presentable pieces of art, but I hope to give them a possibility to learn the joy of making. If I'm lucky enough, when they are in their thirties they'll know what is their own way of creating and relaxing.



2 kommenttia:

Anonyymi kirjoitti...

wonderful that you give them the opportunity to be so creative and enjoy a diversity of materials to their heart's content! My kids have been known to glue marbles onto their pictures... And Sebastian when he was 3 or 4 made huge lakes of glitter glue on his paper at times. (Mom had given him squeeze tubes that held about a half-a-liter each!)

Merruli kirjoitti...

Marbles on paper, that's brilliant- something few of us adults would dare to try!