Crafting isn’t just fun; it actually has health benefits. According to Berkeley Wellness, crafting helps to reduce stress, improves moods, and prevent cognitive decline in adults. In kids, crafting develops self-expression, creativity, and imagination. Doing arts and crafts activities also works fine motor skills and gives children a sense of accomplishment. So, kids doing crafts with parents and grandparents is a win-win for everyone.
Now, don’t worry if you have children of differing ages. There are a lot of amazing craft ideas that are engaging for everyone. Crafting can be just as much fun as family game and movie nights. Arts and craft activities are a nice change of pace for the whole family, and there are plenty of options that aren’t too difficult or expensive for the whole family to get involved in.
Scrapbooking
The art of scrapbooking is more than putting photos in an album. Scrapbooking involves putting family pictures together in a book or a binder along with stickers and other artwork while creating a theme. A fun family crafting project could be making a scrapbook about a recent vacation or working on one as a gift to a grandparent. Going through old photos together and sharing memories is a lot of fun.
Painting
Kids love to paint whether it’s finger painting or watercolors, and painting is definitely a craft that spans age groups. Plan a family painting night where everyone makes their own creation. Try giving each family member a blank canvas or poster board and use watercolors. Another idea is to give a themed virtual paint a try. Virtual paints typically include materials for the participants, and many are designed specifically for kids. For something simpler, try sponge painting. Cut up sponges into different shapes, use finger-paint paper along with washable paint, and let your imagination go.
Coloring
You certainly don’t have to be artsy to color, and coloring can be extremely relaxing for adults and kids. Set aside some time for a family coloring night and put out an assortment of coloring books geared for children and adults, along with crayons, markers, and colored pencils.
Knitting
Like other crafts, knitting has a lot of health benefits, including relieving stress, and it can be a helpful activity for anxious teens. If you love to knit, it’s a great skill to pass along to your children and something you can do together. Eight to 10 is a good age to start teaching a child to knit. However, if your child is younger and shows an interest, some knitters have started learning at 5 or 6. Finger knitting is a good way to introduce kids to knitting; they can make cute ornaments or skinny scarves. Knitting a doll is another technique to teach younger children how to knit.
Pet rocks
Pet rocks were a fad in the 1970s. The craze faded away, but it never really went totally out of style. Making pet rocks is a cool craft for kids or the whole family on a rainy day. You can paint your pet rock or get more creative and use cloth, yarn, and even eyes to give your rock its own style. Pet rock kits are readily available online and come complete with rocks and paint. Let kids use their imagination or get online inspiration from popular pet rock designs for minions, ladybugs, and more.
Birdhouses
If you want to bring a little more nature into your backyard, try using your crafting skills to make a birdhouse. Birdhouse kits are available at most craft stores. You can also purchase a premade wooden birdhouse for kids to paint, but if you want to use a little ingenuity, try making your own from plastic milk or water containers. Bird feeders can also be crafted from small milk cartons. Simple bird feeders for younger children can be made using pine cones or toilet paper rolls, string, birdseed, and peanut butter.
Painted sneakers
A pair of white sneakers can be a bit bland, but not when you add splash of color. With fabric paint and paint brushes, kids can turn an inexpensive pair of white sneakers into something pretty cool. Have kids plan a design on a piece of paper before painting their sneakers.
Painted umbrella
Just like painted sneakers, a fun craft project for a rainy day is to transform those boring umbrellas into an object with more personality. Make a design on a nylon umbrella with fabric paint. Be sure to let the umbrella dry overnight before using it outside in the rain.
Friendship bracelets
Making friendship bracelets is a popular summer craft activity that can be done year-round. Kids of all ages enjoy making the colorful bracelets for themselves or others. Friendship bracelets are usually crafted using embroidery floss. Patterns can be simple for younger kids or more complex for teens.
There are so many fun ways to spend time together as family, and crafting is one more way to enjoy quality time while reaping the health benefits of getting in touch with your artistic side. Crafts are a perfect pick for getting kids and adults to step away from their screens. They’re interactive while working the brain and hands. Start simply with a coloring night and work your way to more challenging craft nights like bracelet-making.
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