{"id":630,"date":"2021-11-02T11:41:33","date_gmt":"2021-11-02T11:41:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ikidsplay.com\/?p=630"},"modified":"2021-12-17T03:27:10","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T03:27:10","slug":"handicrafts-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ikidsplay.com\/handicrafts-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Fun and Unique Handicrafts for Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"
A British educator born over 150 years ago discovered a clue to childhood learning that still rings true: “The duty of parents is to sustain a child’s inner life with ideas<\/em> as they sustain his body with food.\u201d Charlotte Mason lived well before computers and screens of all kinds, yet she developed a lifestyle of learning that not only delivered a broad and generous education to the children of her day, but continues to inspire today’s educators all over the world!<\/p>\n Mason’s philosophy of learning resides in the belief that a child is a person and we must educate that whole<\/em> person, rather than just the mind via dry textbooks or perpetual commands and directions. In her words, \u201cEducation is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.\u201d While there are many concepts to unpack in Charlotte Mason’s pedagogy, this article will focus on the significance she saw in prioritizing the introduction and application of unique handicrafts to kids.<\/p>\n Her key discovery remains that learning is much more meaningful and long lasting when ideas are simultaneously coupled with hands-on skills such as: garden work, cooking, sewing, woodworking, weaving baskets, and crafting jewelry and gifts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n You may know a homeschool family or two, and you can bet they have incorporated bits (or more!) of a Charlotte Mason home education into their curriculum. Regardless of where your child goes to school, try some of our favorite, unique handicrafts for children! We combined Charlotte’s wisdom with our own kid-tested and approved handicrafts to create the following list to get you started. In our home we have one child who is more geared toward engineering, and another attuned to the arts\u2014nevertheless the beauty of handicrafts is that they are appealing and satisfying no matter how your kid is wired! Peruse the list below, where we have included a brief description, an age range to consider, and affiliate links to arts and crafts that will encourage the practice of handicrafts in your home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n These lacing cards are unique in that they help simulate sewing a button onto a shirt\u2014a skill Miss Mason would say is essential and useful for a child!<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This set includes soil and seeds to introduce children to gardening and<\/em> the garden is sown inside a little fairy cottage to encourage imaginary play. Children get to build a house and create a world while developing basic garden skills.<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sensory development, creativity, and logical thinking all gets a boost with air dry clay! This product is non toxic and includes a book of ideas for children to sculpt with the clay\u2014creating their own little treasures to use and play with after they dry.<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not only are these lacing beads extremely useful for fine motor skills, the smooth wooden texture offers a sensory experience for the young child and the animal and food shapes stimulate creative play!<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Offer your child a simple bucket or basket and enjoy a nature walk together where you encourage them to gather some botanical treasures to bring home. Then use this flower press to gently preserve flower petals, leaves, and other tidbits of nature. The dried botanicals can then be used to make seasonal decor for their room!<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This kit includes two unassembled bird houses for children to build and then decorate with paints. No tools are required so it is an easy yet satisfying build and an item that is really useful for their outdoor space as an introduction to bird watching.<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rainbow Loom is the recipient of numerous toy awards and is a product that has received a lot of life in our home! The loom and bands allow the child to create jewelry such as bracelets, necklaces, rings, or even little gifts to give to their friends such as charms and action figures! The craft develops fine motor skills and logical thinking while also building confidence as they create their own treasures and toys to keep and share.<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This loom allows kids to learn the technique of weaving while creating unique projects. They can play with color and design patterns to craft a one-of-a-kind gift. My kids especially love the gratification of giving grandparents “real” and useful gifts for the holidays such as a potholder or plant coaster.<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Melissa and Doug offer a more advanced loom that features easy-grasp knobs that make it simple to switch the frame and try lots of different craft projects\u2014from bags to scarves to colorful animal picture tapestries.<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\t <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This construction kit is suitable for kids 8 and up with materials to make six useful and fun projects: 80 pieces of real wood, two pencils, a ruler, nails, sandpaper, glue, a storage bag and hammer. This will appeal to older kids as it is more than just snapping wood pieces together\u2014they get to use a real hammer and nails for woodworking!<\/p>\n\n\t\t \t\tCharlotte Mason’s Advice for Selecting Handicrafts for Kids:<\/h2>\n
\n
Top 5 Handicrafts for Young Children (age 3-6)<\/h2>\n
1) Lacing Cards<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
2) Fairy Garden<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
3) Air Dry Clay<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
4) Wooden Lacing Beads<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
5) Flower Press<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/h2>\n
Top 25 Handicrafts for Children, age 7 and up<\/h2>\n
1) DIY Bird House<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
2) Rainbow Loom<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
3) Ultimate Weaving Loom & Loops<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
4) Multi Craft Weaving Loom<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
5) Woodworking Carpentry Kit<\/h3>\n