Art and craft activities give children so much more than just something fun to do. These art experiences help children use their creativity while learning and building new skills and development. When children are given opportunities to be creative regularly, they learn to make connections in the world around them and think outside the box!
We know exactly what it's like living in a fast paced family life! It's one of the reasons why we started My Creative Box. We knew the benefits of young children participating in regular art activities, but even though we gave other children these wonderful opportunities in the Early Learning environments we worked in, it was hard having the time to set up the same activities for our own children at home.
We hope that the tips below will help make CREATIVE time at your house a breeze!
1. Make sure you have everything you need to complete the art activity.
This is really important! Being prepared will alleviate any frustrations your child may develop creating their art. You want to make your child's art experience positive and fun so it is something they want to rediscover over and over again. Planning art and craft time with kids can be hard. I can not tell you how many times I have walked around looking for materials for my kids art projects for them to get tired and impatient and totally lose interest in their art project all together. At My Creative Box, we make it very easy for you as we know how busy our lives can get! That is why all of our learning art activities come in individual bags with everything you need to complete them. That means no dragging kids along to the shops for art supplies! Yay!
2. Prepare for a mess
Mess is just something that comes with CREATIVITY! It means your child is learning! We know how hard it is to let loose and accept the mess at times too! You can try to make creative time at home less messy by:
- Putting an art smock on your child or some clothes you don't mind them getting messy. Although most children's paints wash out quite easily. Purple is the worst! This is something learnt after years of working in sessional Kindergarten!
- Covering your child's work space with paper. This can easily lift up any mess to make cleaning up afterwards a breeze!
- Using a tray! It is honestly the best simple solution. A baking tray works well!
- Taking messy art outside if you can too, everyone benefits from fresh air and sunshine.
- Always keep baby wipes close by or a bowl of warm water and a cloth to clean your Childs hands, so they are not walking around the house with very messy hands!
3. Pick the best time to create with your child
We often get asked by our customers what the best time of day is for their child to complete their Creative Box activities. Well, the answer is different for everyone! All children are individual and learn differently. What we will recommend is:
- Choose a good time for your child when they are alert and not tired.
- Try and stick to the same time when completing your activities as your child will like the routine and consistency.
- Get your child involved in the creative time preparation, give them some jobs to do to help set up, so they feel valued and supported.
- Make sure you choose a time when you do not need to rush off anywhere. You want to give your child the support and time they need to complete their art project without feeling pressured or rushed.
4. Be completely present for your child while they complete their art
When it comes to spending time with kids, its all about the quality over quantity. You don't need to allocate hours of time to be present for your child, but make time for special moments when there are no other distractions. At My Creative Box, we know how important these quality interactions are with your children! All of our individual activities come with 'Parenting Prompts' to guide parents to help their child learn and develop to their full potential while sharing quality interactions and bonding time together.
Research has shown the lifelong benefits of parent/child art and craft time! The research suggested a growing need for quick and easy project ideas that will engage kids and take the time pressure off parents. The data also suggests that without creative time children could be missing important benefits that are directly related to school prep and long-term success in subjects like maths, reading and writing.
If you are looking at a hassle free way to get some great art and craft activities delivered to your door every month, be sure to check out our great value My Creative Box subscription options.
Have fun CREATING!