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Sometimes I discover other sites and resources that I think deserve my 'thumbs up'.
This page is still new, but each time I find a really great resource I'll post it below...
Paper Crafts for young kids (aged between 3 to 7 years)
...A guide for parents and carers
An excellent paper craft site that I've found is called Free-kid-Crafts. It's designed for preschoolers and early school age children.
I've included a few samples from their site below:
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Hand Print Peacock If you look closely at the tail you'll see that it's made with lots of small hand prints. How cool is that? |
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Leaf Creatures I had never heard of making leaf creatures until I visited this site. The website has designs for other leaf creatures too, and encourages children to make up some of their own with what ever they find outside. |
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Toilet Paper Roll Frog A very simple and solid paper frog with full assembly instructions. |
Most of the designs and templates from Free-kid-Crafts are very simple and don't require a lot of materials... and they're cheap to make. The only downside is that, even though many designs are free, some of them aren't. You might want to consider buying the e-book to access the full collection (it's an book that you download so you don't have to wait for postage). It's actually reasonably priced and is very well researched. It also includes another craft book as a free bonus. I own a copy of the book (and the bonus) and I can honestly say that it's a great resource for anyone with young kids.
The book's author writes:
After searching for hours online and buying a lot of books supposedly for toddlers and preschoolers, I realized that no one is really paying attention to the youngest crafters. These are the children who benefit the most from being creative and spending quality time with a primary caregiver. Yet this is the segment of the crafting population who seems most neglected.
Parents of young children and people who are trusted with young children while parents work are severely undervalued. Let's be honest... money is an issue for many people who care for children in any capacity. Making this book available at a very reasonable price is the best way I can think of to honor all the parents and caregivers out there who are doing the hardest job in the world. You deserve the best!
One final thought: Why go to the trouble to make crafts with your kid?
Making kid crafts, especially with toddlers and preschoolers might seem like a messy chore, hard to organize, and sometimes not worth the effort. BUT WAIT! Doing these types of activities with your kids can actually make your job as a parent or carer much easier!
That's because kids who make a lot of crafts:
- argue less among themselves, and with you
- are better behaved and easier to discipline
- don't expect to be constantly entertained (and the TV gets forgotten)
- become easier to handle when you go out together
The only problem might be that now you'll have to come up with fresh ideas every day!