It’s Summer And The Kids Are Bored! Learn Something New!
Moms, this summer don’t forget to teach your children a craft. No matter what kind it is, it’s real good for keeping idle hands busy and giving the child a sense of accomplishment. They can do it for personal expression, as a gift, or for actual needs, depending on the type of craft done.
You can teach them to knit or crochet (you can buy or rent how-to videos nowadays) and let them make themselves a scarf for starters – or a hotpad. There are so many wonderful types of yarns and colors and textures, they can make the item as individual as they like!
Teach them to cook. Maybe even help with canning or making jelly, so they learn life-long skills that can help them down the road. Make home-made pizza. It’s even better than the pizza places sell, and they can choose your own ingredients!
Let them do some painting – either as a picture or even help paint something in the house!
Teach them how to plant seeds and harvest the fruit or vegetables that grow.
There are so many old, forgotten crafts. What about embroidery?
Teach them to sew – they can even make toys or clothes if they like.
How about scrapbooking? Teach your young child or teenager how to make a memory book, with pictures of their friends, leftover ticket stubs so they can remember fun events, postcards, whatever will help them remember happy times.
Maybe boys would like to do some woodworking, whether making a simple table or step stool to cutting out forms to scroll sawing, who knows?
We all have skills of some kind. Encourage them to find theirs. And don’t worry if it’s something you’re not good at. If they are, that’s all that’s important.
Also, always remember to supervise them. You don’t want them to injure themselves while they’re doing these activities – it’s supposed to be fun!
See how much you all can learn during the dog days of summer…
Written by Jo Ann Hakola, The Book Faerie, © 2008 butyoudontlooksick.com
