By Christa Protano
During this challenging time, many adults have turned to comfort crafting (think crocheting, embroidery, or those intricate coloring books) to help ease some of the stress and anxiety that comes with a global pandemic. Thankfully, this idea works for kids too. Here are four crafty activity kits to help set your child at ease. Bonus: these kits are guaranteed to give moms and dads at least a few minutes of much-needed Zen. Namaste, indeed!
When I used to have a flood of preschool art projects being sent home, I would always save the ones with those cute little handprints. This spiral-bound book captures those sweet moments in time with 30-plus ideas for creating hand art. Trace your child’s digits (even better: let them to do the work) and sit back and watch them turn each print into peacocks, elephants, honey bees and more.
While traditional birthday parties are still on hold, we can still celebrate on a smaller scale. That’s why we love this crafting kit that includes everything needed to make a collection of festive party favorites. Creative Kits: Mini Piñatas includes balloons, streamers, colorful cardboard and plenty of google-y eyes so your child turn an ordinary day into a DIY fiesta.
If your refrigerator is filling up fast with all of your child’s doodles, Draw With Me! gives them a dedicated place to scribble and helps improve their artistic skills. Step-by-step instructions encourage kids to design their own T-shirt, decorate a hot-air balloon, and learn to draw ballerinas, pirates and playful animals. When they are ready to level up, How To Draw Cute Heroes and Heroines guides them through history’s most popular VIPs.
Similar to adult coloring books, Neon Scratch Art affords the same calming sensation via a stylus and 50-plus scratch pages. Elementary schoolers will love the bright colors, playful characters and tween-inspired quotes (“Live Your Best Life” sound familiar?), which they can color neon and scratch away to reveal intricate foil designs.