It’s the first of the month, and time again to craft with us. I know we could probably do a craft post more frequently, but everyone has craft ideas, and Pinterest is full of them. When Babysitters In a Pinch posts a craft; we’ve done it, tested it, and will usually share pics that will never, ever look perfect because we are really, truly, crafting with kids; not doing it for THEM.
I don’t know about you but I don’t care for messy crafts: painting, Play-Doh (with all those itsy bitsy, grain sized pieces, getting in the carpet or smashed on the floor), glue (oh the glue, glue, glue, GLUE!) there isn’t one project that needs glue that either is non-working glue-sticks or the old fashioned Elmer’s Glue that takes an eternity to dry, and we all know kids have no patience for that kind of drying time. I know now why paste, back in the day, was used.
I’m drawn to crafts that children come up with on their own. For example this little golden nugget:
Yes, this is an entire Japanese village made with Post-it notes. It’s amazing with rooms and corridors, intricate folds, and even a legend.
This wasn’t an idea that I came up with; it was a creation invented by one of my creative children that the agency has the pleasure to babysit.
Giving children an assortment of mediums, ideas, colors, and choices combined with a little guidance our little children will create some of the most mind blowing fun crafts that their minds can invented. Our goal as babysitters is to open up minds to think about things around us in a different way. How can we utilize leaves, grass, pinecones, post-it notes, paper, crayons, and even glue in unusual ways that promotes thinking outside of the box (or in it).
I think it’s time to use Pinterest, books etc as guides, and allow our children to assist US in the creations they want to make.
