Around the holiday season I get a little worried about what my kids will get for Christmas. There are so many cheap and what I call “throw-away” presents that they receive- things that look fun on TV, or that they will only use once, or have too many parts that will get lost, or that are just poorly made and break!
Like most moms, I want my kids have crafty, imaginative play time and so here’s a little round-up of some of the craft kits that I was happy for my kids to get- and one’s I’ll be giving, too.
By the way, I’m providing links to purchase as well as links to reviews I’ve done so you can read my full report! Also note: these ideas are geared for ages 5-12 with a little wiggle room for parental supervision and child’s interests.
- ArtTerro Kits. I’ve reviewed the bubble wand kit, the bead and wire sculpture kit, and the needle felting “paint with wool” kits. I have to say that the bubble wand kit is GENIUS in it’s simplicity, and it makes two! (Bonus) Plus my kids played with their bubble wands over and over. The paint with wool kit is currently one of my 5 year old daughter’s favorite activities in my craft room and I’ve had to go out and buy extra supplies! Both are creative, open-ended, and sustainable. Love them, and the Bubble Wand earned the CraftTestDummie’s Seal of Approval.
- Total Class Creative Doll Furniture Kit. Ok, this is obviously gender-biased, but my little girl just loved assembling this dolly furniture and played with it until it was all squished flat. The only drawback is that it’s cardboard furniture and that you CAN squish it flat- but then again, my girl is still little and not so careful. However, the point is that she had fun both making the craft and playing with it for hours after. And right now, it happens to be on sale for under $18 bucks, and if you place an order of $50 or more, you’ll get free shipping with code SHIPBYELF.
- Bendaroos. Yeah, I’ll catch some flack for this one. As a mom, I hate prying these wax-laden sticks off of the hardwood floors. But my girl gets creative with them,plays with them for hours, and even has made accessories with her Barbie doll with them. So again, they fall into the category of make-and-play, and Bendaroos are readily available, practically no-mess (save for the aforementioned floor thing), and inexpensive. (By the way, there is a coupon for $3 off right now, too!)
- Creative Soap Bar Kit. I reviewed this kit for CraftsUnleashed, but really, any melt-and-pour soap making kit would probably suffice. It’s a little bit of mixing fun, and both my 5 year old girl and my 9 year old boy loved this activity. A grown-up does need to supervise the microwave use, but let the kids choose colors, fragrances, etc. And if you are adding little toys, like in “Soap Surprise” post, the kids realy enjoy playing with their soaps in the tub. Oh, and these make great gifts for kids to re-gift. Quite the circle of giving/receiving, right?
Lastly, if you are stumped, try making your OWN “creativity kit” for kids. Get a nice re-useable carrying box like this one from ConsumerCrafts, and fill it with glue sticks, white glue, (and glitter glue!) craft sticks, feathers, colored pencils, decorative paper and cardstock, stickers, googly eyes, paper bags (like to make puppets) , yarn, card blanks with envelopes (for thank-you cards), decorative-edge scissors, and other odds and ends. My kids both loved to just MAKE stuff, and if you give them the materials, you’ll be surprised at what they come up with!
Merry crafting to all!
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Kim @ Quit Eating Out {Recipes to Make Dining Out A Choice, Not A Chore} says
These are great gift ideas! No one wants to buy something that’s going to be tossed aside. Love that these will keep the kiddos happy and busy during Christmas break too. 🙂
Jessica Moran says
Thanks for including Artterro, Jenny! I love that you look for products that are lots of fun even after you’re done making them. Great work as always!