I love creating kits for the holidays. A themed gift can be much more interesting and less expensive than other gifts because it all works together. If you or someone you know has a craft-oriented home learner, here are some gift ideas and some ways to work them into your home learning.
Everyone loves clay. It’s natural and feels good on the hands. Buy natural clay and get rollers for it. These can be as simple as dowels from the hardware store. You can also give younger home learners the materials to make homemade clay, like baking soda and cornstarch. Creating clay is a good science experiment that teaches kids about how solids and liquids can mix to become something quite different.
Get your kids interested in architecture or other time periods with scale models. Add paint and get books about whatever period they love, whether it’s prehistoric animals or medieval times. Building and painting models can teach kids about the styles of dress and the building techniques of other times.
Please a budding naturalist with a good set of watercolor paintings or watercolor crayons and the promise of a trip to paint in a natural area. Add some high quality paper. A lot of kids’ paper is not great quality, so turn to the adult section of the art store.
Expand your child’s fine motor skills and design skills with a knitting and crocheting kit. Add needles, yarn, and patterns. Or invest in a loom or other weaving devices like a spool knitter or a circular knitter for hats. Kids also love plastic and hemp for necklaces, along with small beads
Penmanship used to be highly valued, but now it’s becoming a lost art. Treat your child to a book on old-fashioned school houses and handwriting and add calligraphy pens, paper and a calligraphy book.
What are your plans for your craft-loving child this Christmas?
