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While it is said that children learn through play (and it is true) they also learn through crafting. Both fine and gross motor skills are advanced through art and craft projects. Even as a child matures and has mastered the basic motor milestones, the mind benefits from continued creativity. As the forces of nature keep you captive inside, here are just a few ideas I have tried with my kids.

First on my getting ready to craft list are some very basic supplies that any house full of kids will benefit from having around. If you are on a fixed income, start with these:
Construction paper
Copy paper
Crayons
School glue
Scissors

If you have room in your budget add these:
Markers
Colored pencils
chalk
Water colors
Tempera paint*
Acrylic paint*
Paint brushes of assorted sizes
Tacky glue
Tape
Hot glue gun (don't allow young children to use this tool alone)

*If you have to choose between Tempera paints and Acrylic paints, I highly recommend Acrylic. Try to keep an assortment of primary acrylic paints on hand. I am a crafter myself, so I have a wide array of colors to work with. But if you do not usually keep these in your stock, any craft store or even a Wal-Mart will have paints that range in price. These paints will be useful when painting on mediums other than paper as tempera does not produce very good results beyond the isle.

Second is a great rule of thumb whether you are crafting or just consuming: Reduce, reuse, recycle! Save butter tub and other container lids to use as pallets for paint. Save stray game pieces, puzzle pieces, decks of cards with missing cards, magazines, buttons, ribbons, nature walk finds, silk flowers, and just about anything else that doesn't have a place'. These items make GREAT collage materials.

My last and most important suggestion for crafting and artwork with kids is imagination. Be ready to think outside of the box and get downright messy. Kids are NOT neat crafters. If you can't look past the messes, learn to! Lay out a drop cloth for paint and slimy messes and have the vacuum and Windex ready for all other montages of creativity!

Now that you have your supplies, it is time to set loose and have fun.

Most kids LOVE to paint. The bulk of their experiences involve painting on paper. It can be exciting to paint on something different. When I know rain is in the forecast, I will have the kids collect one or two rocks on a preceding sunny day. The rocks should be around palm size, although sometimes they grab one that is more around grapefruit or melon size!

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