Children With A Plan
Recently, my daughter told me that her children had a week away from their computers. The computers were taking up most of their time and it was difficult to get them to do anything else. However, these children are a creative bunch. They quickly gathered together in the craft room and came up with a plan. The computer downtime was a good reason to start a project with felt scraps. Two of them were having birthdays soon, so they decided to make gifts from the felt. They gathered up felt pieces, random scraps of material, scissors, and glue-guns. What they came up with on their own in a week was amazing.
Working Together
With the guidance of the older children, their parents and their favorite game and cartoon characters, they went to work. They drew, they cut, they glued felt scraps. The smaller children were ecstatic. When I visited, I saw the younger children carrying small stuffed felt toys everywhere. One felt toy fell in the toilet, and the small child was heart-broken. One of the older children threw the felt toy in the washer, and except for a small amount of pilling, it was still intact, and the little one was happy.
Pay Off
Of course, this interest in making things did not happen overnight. My daughter has spent many hours teaching, supervising, and participating in arts and craft projects with the children. She loves to make things and seems to keep the curiosity and excitement going when it comes to exploring new things. She has made a big sacrifice with time and energy, but it is paying off. These are active, curious, and productive children. I believe her time invested will pay off in the future.
Caution
Because glue guns can burn small hands, never leave young children alone working on projects. Even older children past ten years old need instruction and supervision. If glue guns seem too much of a risk, there are fabric glues that can also be used with felt and other materials. Teenagers who have experience and are trustworthy can work on projects, but they should have safety rules and a checklist before they leave their craft.
