How to Create Arts and Craft Ideas for Kids

Perhaps you're running a day camp or teaching Sunday school and you work with young children and maybe feel you're a little "creatively challenged" when it comes to coming up with ideas for arts & crafts projects to keep your young charges occupied? Maybe being creative is just not "your thing" and you're dreading coming up with activities? Some people do seem to be well suited for inventing creative games and fun activities for children, but rest easy! Here are some suggestions on how you can make wonderful and simple projects with materials found around the home that will entertain and keep kids happy campers with busy hands.

First off, don't worry about getting it perfect. Being inflexible about what the end product should look like is a waste of time. Children always have the most fun just working on the activities and their needs are simple. There is no right or wrong project for you to choose. Just keep in mind their ages and their skill levels and any choice you make will be acceptable.

Next, work out the budget. Choosing an art project for kids requires you to keep costs minimal. Ready made and pre-packaged kits like foam picture frames or models can be fun and are affordable for just one or two kids, but if you're managing a large group of children, these won't be cost effective. What might work is to purchase one kit, put it together to learn what materials are needed, and then shop for and purchase the materials you need in bulk by checking out what components are required. There may be some additional work you have to do ahead of time, like cutting shapes, making patterns and writing out the instructions or diagrams for them to use. You may even have to change some of the components or instructions to make it simpler for a large group to follow.

There are also considerations with regard to the gender of your group of kids. Without appearing sexist there is, in fact, a difference in what little boys and little girls like in the way of arts and crafts! If the activity is too girly, boys won't like it and won't participate. Try to stick to projects that aren't gender specific, or have separate projects for the boys to build or create like leather billfolds or Indian artifacts and beads or anything purple or pink for the girls. If you have a co-ed facility, you can create projects and provide different colored materials for the boys and the girls.

Sometimes ideas come from other ideas. For example, go to the web and google arts and crafts and then take a look at the hundreds of hits you get. You may not see what you like but, they may spark an idea in your head for something similar. Use whatever you can and alter anything that doesn't work in context for your camp or school. Make it yours. For instance, you may need to change a slogan of a particular craft. If you do, go for it! It's perfectly okay to change "Girls Rock!" to "We will Rock You!"

Last, but not least, a final suggestion. You can leave the project exactly as is and have kids follow the instructions for building or creating whatever it is and don't change a thing. Part of the fun in building the project might be in figuring it out and doing it as outlined. They'll enjoy the time they spend regardless. Just pick a project and they'll be creative with it. Leave your doubts at the door and invite the kids to have fun and they will!