How to Keep Crafting Interesting for Kids: Craft Supply Box

Parents know that young children love doing crafts. So, many families keep supplies such as construction paper, glue, scissors and more on hand so that their kids can create various art projects whenever they like. But children will quickly tire of the supply box if it always contains the same supplies; therefore, in order to keep their kids' interest, parents need to constantly be adding different materials and items to the craft supply box.

Does this sound complicated? It really isn't; all parents need to do is look to the seasons and the upcoming holidays for ideas of what objects to add. Just about anything can go into a home craft supply box, and the more imaginative the parents are in finding items to put in the box, the more interested the kids will be in doing art projects. And think about it: Wouldn't most parents rather their kids spend more time being creative, working on artistic endeavors instead of sitting in front of the television?

I know, though, that it can be difficult for some parents to think outside of the crayon and marker aisle at the store. Many parents might want to provide an interesting assortment of products with which their children can create art, but these parents likely have no idea where to start. So, I will provide a seasonal list of suggestions. Keep in mind, however, that these are merely ideas for you, meant to get you to think of your own (and possibly better) ideas.

First of all, let's start with spring. Here are some plans for gathering materials during this season:

--Go on a nature walk. This can be a long hike through the park, or it can be as simple as a stroll around your backyard. Whichever you choose, you and your kids can find an abundance of supplies for your craft box. What supplies? Well, I'm sure you could gather up a variety of leaves, which kids can use for crayon rubbings, collages, or nature pictures. There may also be small sticks on the ground; these can be used instead of paintbrushes, or they can be used to replicate wood logs in a picture.

Look around, and you and your children should be able to find many more items than those. Think creatively about how these items can be used. Or, if you find something interesting but cannot figure out how it could be used in an art or craft project, take it home anyway, someone may come up with an idea later on.

--For the Easter holiday, many households serve deviled eggs. Coloring eggs is also a popular activity around this time of year, after which people enjoy eating the hard-boiled eggs. Both of these dishes mean that there are a lot of eggshells around, right? So, why not collect these eggshells instead of trashing them? All you need to do is instruct your family to remove the eggshells over a bowl instead of over the sink or over the trash can. Then, you need to rinse the shells well, let them dry, and place them in a container or zipper-lock bag. Add them to the craft box and your kids can use them for collages or for 3-dimensional craft projects.

OK, now how about summer? Most kids are out of school during these months, so it is really important to have a good variety of materials at this time. Here's how you can gather items for the craft supply box during this season:

--Head for a beach (or a sandbox, if there is no nearby beach). Sand is a great material to craft with, especially if you let your kids add food coloring to some of it to make batches of colored sand. Light-colored sand works best for this. But, it is especially meaningful if you can collect some sand from a beach that your family visits on vacation and let your kids use it for an art project.

How can your children use sand for art? They can apply glue to anything and then sprinkle sand over it, much like you would apply glitter. Or, various colors or shades of sand could be layered artistically in any type of glass jar or container.

While you are at the beach (if you are lucky enough to visit one), don't forget to look for some seashells and seaweed. Collect any that you find, wash them well, and let dry before adding to the craft box.

--Since the kids are probably out of school, now is a good time to show them how to start looking at the household trash in a different way. No, I'm not talking about the icky trash like the remains of last night's dinner or the leftovers from two weeks ago that you just cleared out of the refrigerator. I'm referring to the paper and plastic trash, pieces like cardboard boxes and shrink-wrap from a plastic carton.

Items like these can be added to the craft supply box because they can be used to make great collages and 3-dimensional projects. Help your kids to envision using an empty cereal box as the base for a cardboard rocket ship or using pieces of crumpled plastic wrap to make petals of a flower. Even small trash items might be usable; encourage your children to think before they toss something in the waste can.

Fall is usually the busiest season for many kids because it is back-to-school time. But, don't neglect adding new items to the craft box. Here are a couple of ideas:

--Speaking of back-to-school, the sales on school supplies this time of year are amazing. This is the time when you should definitely go out and pick up new packages of crayons, colored pencils, all kinds of markers (fine point, regular, various colors, etc.), various types of scissors with different cutting edges, rulers, tape, school glue, glue sticks, craft glue, construction paper, other types of paper (whatever you find), stickers, stamps and stamp pads, paint (watercolor and tempera), paintbrushes (various sizes), cotton balls, Q-tips, tissue paper, and more. Whatever you see on sale that could be used as an art or craft supply, grab it. Grab extras, too; don't be afraid to stock up!

--Another nature walk in the fall is a great idea because the scenery has changed drastically since the spring. Dried leaves are great for crafts because they can be used as they are or they can be crumpled up. You and your kids may also find pine cones. These can be turned into holiday ornaments, birdfeeders, and more. I'm sure your child can come up with some great ideas for these! Be sure to take a good look at the ground for dried-up sticks and seed pods, too.

The kids are home and inside a lot during the wintertime, so keeping the craft box interesting during this season is essential, especially if you would like your children to make holiday cards and/or gifts. Here are some suggestions:

--Encouraging your kids to make homemade holiday cards or gifts is a nice idea, but it is difficult if your kids feel as if they don't have the right materials. So, it is a nice idea at this time of year to set a budget (say, $20 or so) and head to one of the nearby craft mega-stores. (Around here we have Michael's and Pat Cataan's; check your local phone directory to see what is near you.) Let your kids browse around and purchase some new craft materials to add to the supply box. Craft kits are not what we are after here; those are rather expensive and do not do much to promote creativity. What you want your kids to find are items like foam or felt sheets, fancy craft papers, beads, adhesive jewels (fake ones, of course), foam shapes, an d other such items. These supplies are relatively inexpensive, and your kids will have a blast creating projects with them.

--Some items that you can find on sale at this time of year also make for great additions to the craft box. Tinsel, wrapping paper, ribbon, and bows can be used for many different types of projects. Your kids may enjoy using these items for their homemade holiday gifts and cards as well.

--This idea takes a little advance planning (but if you are reading this article, that's all the advance notice you need). Your kids likely get a great deal of candy throughout the year, don't they? From Easter, to Halloween, and all the time in-between, I would imagine that they end up with a whole lot more candy than you would ideally like them to eat, am I right? So, throughout the year, simply begin putting some of their excess candy aside. A container in the freezer is a good place so that it will remain fresh. Then, close to the beginning of December or so, bring out the container and add it to the craft box with one stipulation: the candy is for crafting, not for eating. I'm sure your kids will try to sneak a piece or two, but for the most part, they will enjoy using these items for crafting.

Don't forget: the suggestions in this article are just ideas to get your craft box going. Take the ideas here and do some brainstorming of your own with your kids and I'm sure you can come up with some other great items for your craft box. Continue adding unique materials whenever you can, and your kids will stay interested. Maintaining the freshness of your craft supply box is a great way to encourage your children to spend more time doing creative activities, and what parent doesn't want that?