When Kids Are Not “Crafty”

Posted on June 7, 2007 by Kori Rodley Irons

Art projects, crafts, and childhood seem to go together. At least if you look at all the activities and projects available for children. But, just as all adults don’t enjoy or feel like they are “good” at crafts and art efforts, plenty of children do not enjoy crafts either. What can you do if you have a child who just isn’t “crafty”? My son was never someone who enjoyed the steady diet of cutting, pasting and coloring that was required in elementary school. It wasn’t that he was “against” it—he just didn’t really have the fine motor skills, or the … Continue reading →

The Homeschoolers’ Advent Calendar: Community Service

Posted on December 20, 2006 by Valorie Delp

I’m one of those people who believes strongly that before people should graduate from high school they should be required to do community service hours. I believe this so strongly that in our household, community service begins in kindergarten. My son is required to do two ‘projects’ a year (he is in kindergarten) and my daughter does something every other month–she is in second grade. Why Community Service? We do community service because it is a tangible way to teach compassion and empathy and thankfulness. One of my daughter’s first Christmas projects was to bring food to a homeless shelter. … Continue reading →

Holiday Preparation – Crafts & Such

Posted on September 20, 2006 by Heather Long

September may seem like far too early to be thinking about the holidays. But remember, we’ve got a quick succession of holidays that come starting in October with Halloween, then Thanksgiving in November, followed by the big ones of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa in December, not to mention New Year’s at the end of December, beginning of January. Holiday Crafts Holiday preparation can include holiday crafts your child does at home or at school. In fact, some items, including those found at craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael’s are already out on the shelves and they may or may … Continue reading →

Family Activity Opportunity: Sign Up for a Class at Michael’s

Posted on September 18, 2006 by Heather Long

When was the last time you went to Michael’s: The Arts & Crafts Store? It’s a regular stop for this family as I’ve detailed many times about doing crafts with my daughter. There’s more to Michael’s than just buying the supplies – they offer classes and demos in just about everything. These classes can be family activities to help all of you learn something new and they are definitely worth it for fun with your kids. Some of the classes available for you and your family include: Kid’s Club Michael’s has a Kid’s Club program that this month includes activities … Continue reading →

Building a Baby Clothes Quilt

Posted on September 15, 2006 by Heather Long

Have you ever made a baby clothes quilt? I’ve got one in progress that I’ve been working on for several years. It started with my daughter’s baby clothes. I kept out several of the better items that I remember her wearing with love and cut out a 6”x 6” squares from each of them. Over the years, I have taken out 6” x 6” squares from all kinds of her clothes that she’s worn. I have about 30 separate squares at the moment. Those 30 squares are sewn into 5 nine-patch blocks. While those 5 blocks are hardly enough to … Continue reading →

Party Crafts: Make Your Own Cat Favor

Posted on September 7, 2006 by Heather Long

As we head into the holiday season both at home and at school, it’s time for putting our collective heads together to come up with crafts and the like that can be done at school or at home. If you’re like me, you enjoy doing things with your kids – even when you aren’t art oriented. The following idea is good for making a party favor or a bookmark or just a decoration, it really is only limited by the imagination. So whether you are looking for some fun to be had with your little one at home or you … Continue reading →