This week I’ll be focusing on crafts for preschoolers – your little guys who have lots of enthusiasm but have limited fine motor skills and attention spans. I have a lot of experience crafting with preschoolers, and let me assure you, there are plenty of crafts that can bring joy to you and your child, and I’ll share some of them here with you.
First, a couple of guidelines for ensuring success when crafting with preschoolers:
1. Remember that it’s the process that matters, not the outcome. Kids this age are perfectly pleased with a blobby glob of clay that looks nothing like the horse in the picture as long as they had fun making it. Don’t sweat the details.
2. Use materials you already have around the house. If a creative urge strikes and you spend too much time preparing (going to the craft store, trying to find the exact color of glitter glue….), your child-of-short-attention-span might lose interest. Keep basic craft supplies handy, and don’t be afraid to substitute. Go for it when the inspiration is there.
3. Choose projects that are fun, not too fussy, and require little time to prepare, execute and clean up. Short is sweet!
4. Think washable and non-toxic. Washable markers, washable paints, non-toxic glue. Also, loose glitter and preschoolers are a bad combination. It gets in eyes, up noses, on the dog and on your carpet. Glitter glue is one of my all-time favorite inventions. No spills, and it stays where you put it.
5. Lastly, have fun. Your child will take his or her cues from you. If you get fussy with the details or aren’t satisfied unless your project is a fine work of art, your child might feel frustrated with his or her own project. As I said earlier, it’s the process that matters, so dig in and enjoy yourself.