Children of all ages can enjoy and benefit from crafting. Below are a few excellent craft ideas that blend creativity with family time and education.

Themed Gatherings
A fun way for families to spend time together is to plan a simple dinner or dessert, or even something bigger, like a "ball" or dance. Let your child think of the theme and then decorate and create in accordance to that theme. If the theme is Winter Wonderland, have the child cut snowflakes and hang them around the house. Find a simple recipe for hot cocoa for them to help make. They can set the table with cups and saucers and count out marshmallows for the drinks if they're younger. If the theme is Under the Sea, cut and hang bubbles, paint or color fish, even play music that coincides with that theme. Other fun themes are a Hawaiian Luau, pizza night (where kids can make their own pizzas, or at least put on the toppings), a Fall Ball (with lots of leaves and warm colors) or more seasonal and holiday themes.

Make a Scrapbook
Children of all ages can have fun with this. Either buy a scrapbook or make one with same-size papers stapled together. Allow them to either use their own picture from a camera or pictures from a family camera. They can cut additional paper into shapes or cut around the pictures to shape them. Other items to include for decoration are colorful pens or markers, glitter or fun glue, and ribbons or beads (depending on the age). It's an excellent way for children to remember fun events in their lives.

Create a Dollhouse
Create or build a dollhouse with extra wood or cardboard around the house. Let your child use old fabric for curtains on the windows. Furniture can be made with cardboard, Popsicle sticks or paper plates. Let them paint or color the house and get creative with yarn or paper for rugs. They can learn to sew bed linens or make kitchen food out of clay.

Plant a Garden
Children love watching things grow. Get some seeds or flowers you know will grow where you live and plant them with your child. Help them remember what they planted by painting wood markers with names. You can use paint stir sticks or spare fence posts cut to size or whatever you have around the house. Paint colors on the wood and then paint what you planted, like daisies or tulips or even vegetables.

Build a Chore Board
Children don't always like chores, but it can be more fun if they can help monitor their progress. Help them use a cork-board or something similar to decorate and make their own chore board. They can use scrap pieces of paper to make amounts, such as 25 cents or whatever they will get for their chore. And they can place those amounts up for each chore and then count them out at the end of the week for their reward.

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