Kids' Crafts ideas needed!

[Chef Mama]

I"m teaching a Kids' Crafts class. Co-teaching, actually, but the co-teacher might be gone the first week or 2, as her mom is having major surgery. We've made 2 classes this year at our homeschool co-op, 1st -3rd & then 4th -6th. The first week in 4th-6th I'm going to do covered composition books & roll pens in microbeads (I have a bunch of gold ones!). I want something with a "back to school/co-op" theme for the 1st -3rd grade, too. Also, I don't want to do paint or glitter week 1 & don't want to do microbeads w/ 1st-3rd graders the first week. We will be in a different facility than before & it will be our first week---meaning I can't spend a lot of time on clean up before going to my next class to teach & I don't want spilled paint on the floor!

Any ideas? I've got some ideas brewing for later on, especially Apples in September! We'll do some stamping & papercrafts later, I'd like to do crochet w/ the older group, some foam projects w/ the younger group, and more.

THanks for any ideas you might have!

Lori

[Koyote Ki]

I think doing door hangers is a great idea for a kids class for their bedroom door. It could have their name on it or keep out or whatever.

[Chef Mama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kathleen G. Heckel

I think doing door hangers is a great idea for a kids class for their bedroom door. It could have their name on it or keep out or whatever.

Thanks, Kathleen! We did some foamy ones last year & will have some of the same kids. What would another kind be? Maybe cardstock & stamping? I can tell your creative juices are flowing, so keep squeezing them out for me!

[Jay Dub]

Have you checked out www.orientaltrading.com? They have tons of craft items and kits for cheap. You can also get ideas from the site.
We did some cute backpack tags from them. They were foam with jeweled embellishments. They also have lacing luggage tags that could be use on a school backpack. I think they had some canvas pencil cases that you could stamp or paint....I'm sure they'd have some other "back to school" ideas for you too.

Best of luck!

[WeimFamily]

Also check www.familyfun.com - another great source for ideas. For door hangers, you could make wood ones with little wood pieces and/or markers for decoration. Some other ideas:
* Air dry clay projects
* Weaving projects (remember those potholders??)
* Decorate journals - could use stamping, just paper, foamies, etc - might be a good back to school for the younger ones
* Autumn nanpkin holders (chenille stems, wood beads, paper)

[Chef Mama]

THanks! I think for week 1, I'll start with door hangers. I found some at Oriental Trading that are Happy Fall Y'all, then maybe a Christmas one to go with it. Then I'll use some of your other ideas later. I think foam & glue are safer than glitter & paint, at least for week 1! Thanks again!

Lori

[JustMelissa]

One year DD and I made some SUPER EASY Christmas ornaments - the ones made with cinnamon & Elmer's glue that you just cut out with a cookie cutter. They dried in a day or so and smelled awesome! So easy.

[time4me]

My daughter wanted to get a bunch of her friends together at our house before school started. So, we decided we would make it somewhat of a productive day. We made bookmarks they can use for their textbooks. I thought they'll get bored after 15-20 minutes tops. We had a total of 8 fifth graders by the way. Those girls did not give me a break (not even to go to the bathroom). They made bookmarks for 3-1/2 hours straight. I did all the cutting for them. They stamped, colored, and embellished. I got rid of a lot of my scrap CS. It was great fun. Their parents arrived and they were still begging to make one more. They not only made for themselves but for other friends, brothers, sisters, mom, etc.

I gave them instructions on how to care for my stamps and they followed all my directions. They kept thanking me as they were leaving. It turned out to be a great day.