Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The Klutz books are also great. My daughter spent hours of time with each of her Klutz books. Just check the age ratings, because some are more for kids with better dexterity than the average 5 year old has. They come with all of the materials needed to do the ideas in the book, and then if she runs out, she can always continue on with her own materials.
You got some good advice on things to buy. The more imagination it takes to make something out of nothing can often be a good thing. I don't know how many people remember when Colorforms first came out. You had to THINK! All you had to work with were geometric shapes.
When my kids were small we had an art cabinet. It had every art supply you can imagine for young kids....construction paper, drawing paper, scissors, glue, glitter, stickers, pipe cleaners, rubber stamps and ink pads, poster paint, watercolors, paintbrushes, sponge shapes, markers, crayons, colored pencils, ribbon, tape, sculptey clay, shrinky dinks, etc. I even kept a tubs of play doh and molds of all kinds. I would also go to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and buy cheap craft kits. You can often find them for $1-2. They often include everything you need to make the craft. My kids loved it! Kept them busy for many a boring summer vacation day
My oldest is at college majoring in art, and she was at the table creating art almost as soon as she could walk
We don't have time to go buy lots of art and craft supplies and wouldn't really want to purchase a lot of that anyway.
I don't understand this quote at all. How long does it take to stop at a dollar or discount store and buy some construction paper, glue, googly eyes, pipe cleaners etc.? Or order it from Amazon.
And WHY wouldn't you want to purchase a lot of it anyway if your kid like it? Creating, doing crafts are wonderful ways to improve her mind and fine motor skills.
As far as Legos go... yes, they are expensive. You can sometimes find bulk Lego lots on eBay or Amazon that end up being cheaper.
You don't need directions all the time! Or... you can find plenty for free online.
freekidscrafts.com? There are 5 million websites with ideas.
During the summer, your local public library is likely to offer free weekly story and related craft sessions for kindergartners. The library will have good books with simple craft ideas for kids all year round.
As others have noted, basic art supplies plus odds and ends from around the house and yard are more likely to support creativity than pre-fab "craft kits". So make sure your daughter has access to crayons, paints, brushes, modeling clay, washable glue, paper of various kinds, safe scissors, colored pencils, and so on.
Start saving boxes of various sizes - they can become many, many things. If your daughter enjoys playing with small dolls and/or small stuffed toys, she could make and furnish a house for them out of a larger box or two, using smaller boxes for furniture, scrapbooking paper for wallpaper, fabric scraps for rugs, curtains and upholstery, etc. She could also build a castle, using small boxes plus round oatmeal boxes and paper towel tubes for towers - cap them with construction paper cones for roofs. Glue the parts together, paint with poster paint or cover with construction paper or scrapbooking paper.
To contain the supplies, get your daughter a lightweight plastic bin with a lid, or just use a large cardboard box - have your daughter decorate it, if she likes. Smaller bins or some of those boxes can be used to separate supplies - crayons in one, brushes in another, etc.
If you can, take your daughter to craft festivals and art museums, galleries and shows, and talk with the artists. Talk with her about what you see - the subjects, shapes, colors, and so on. Then suggest that she try her hand at something similar when you get home.
Artistic talent is a rare gift - so glad you want to encourage and nurture it in your daughter!
Location: Los Angeles>Little Rock>Houston>Little Rock
6,489 posts, read 8,816,044 times
Reputation: 17514
When I was a kid I loved crafts. I made little houses out of shoe boxes and painted them with poster paint. I would fill the lid up with dirt and plant grass seed in it to make a front lawn for the houses.
I made salt dough and fashioned a bowl the size of a tangerine filled with miniature fruits, apples watermelon, grapes, bananas, and put them in the bowl. All were painted in detail with model paints. I made other things with the dough, but I don't recall. My younger sisters still talk about the fruit bowl even though we are now in our 50s-60s.
My favorite kits were mosaics and latch hook rugs/pillows. I liked paint-by-numbers sometimes, too.
There are tons of craft items you can get for cheap at the dollar store or Michael's.
If you color eggs for Easter, save the shells. Broken into smaller pieces, they can be glued to the outside of jars and make a very pretty mosaic. Just smear Elmers glue on the outside of jar and press the shell pieces on.
Thrift stores have everything you need for crafts, including brand new, unopened kits, books, and all sorts of supplies. You have to be lucky to find Legos, but they do come in.
Yep.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maggie2101
When I was a kid I loved crafts. I made little houses out of shoe boxes and painted them with poster paint. I would fill the lid up with dirt and plant grass seed in it to make a front lawn for the houses.
I made salt dough and fashioned a bowl the size of a tangerine filled with miniature fruits, apples watermelon, grapes, bananas, and put them in the bowl. All were painted in detail with model paints. I made other things with the dough, but I don't recall. My younger sisters still talk about the fruit bowl even though we are now in our 50s-60s.
My favorite kits were mosaics and latch hook rugs/pillows. I liked paint-by-numbers sometimes, too.
There are tons of craft items you can get for cheap at the dollar store or Michael's.
Omg, what a cute idea. The fruit bowl sounds adorable, too. To me, that was one of the best things about having a dollhouse you could decorate, the little miniatures.
OP, when I was a kid, we had plenty of games and toys at home, but when we'd go to our grandparents' house, our grandma would just have lots of paper, crayons, stickers, stencils, etc. But it was so fun, my brother and I would have the best time with it. It really is true that using your own imagination is the best, and stimulates your creativity.
But, to answer your question, yes, I'm sure there are tons of books with craft options, or even just on the internet. I run across it quite a bit, even when I'm not searching for it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How long does it take to stop at a dollar or discount store and buy some construction paper, glue, googly eyes, pipe cleaners etc.? Or order it from Amazon.
