We often underestimate the value of working with the simplest things: paper, glue, scissors, or even just our kids’ little fingers.
Studies show that children benefit from regular fine motor work such as tearing, pasting, cutting and collaging.
Here are some easy, imaginative and practical crafts for your kids, no matter what developmental stage they’re in.
PAPER PLATE PICTURES
Ages 2-3
Materials:
Assorted pictures, precut
Art paper
Glue
Small paper plates
1. Give your child a small paper plate and some precut pictures. In this case, we have precut pictures of birds, downloaded from the Internet.
2. Give out some strips and precut pieces of art paper, and encourage your child to make a picture by sticking these precut paper pieces on to the paper plate.
COLOR AND STICK
Ages 3-4
Materials:
Printouts of black-and-white coloring images (you get lots from searching “coloring pages” on the Internet)
Glue
Scissors
Markers, watercolors, paint
Assorted items to stick: sequins, flat beads, buttons, feathers, etc.
Construction paper
1. To the parent: Print out and precut the printable images for your child.
2. Let your child color in the images using markers or paint.
3. Allow your child to choose from the stickable items, let him feel the sensation of gluing them to the printout.
4. Mount the completed artwork on construction paper. Or stick it on to a stiff card.
5. Cut it out to make a 2D toy.
TEAR ‘N’ PASTE
Ages 4-5
Materials:
Corrugated strips (available at National Book Store)
Art paper
Googly eyes (available at craft stores or the craft section of National Book Store)
Craft glue/Elmer’s
Markers and pens
Construction paper
1. Give your child a variety of corrugated paper strips in various colors, and some art paper, too. Spend some time talking about the pictures they want to “draw,” then explain that you will be “drawing” pictures today using torn paper.
2. Tear up bits of corrugated board and paper, according to how your child wants to use them. Then, lay out the torn pieces of paper on to the construction paper to make a picture.
3. Once the pieces are laid out in the form your child likes, use craft glue to stick the papers on. Use googly eyes to finish off pictures of creatures.
4. Hang up the artwork in your child’s room. He’ll be so proud of it!
COLLAGE
Ages 5-6
This is a great activity to get children thinking about themes. Use it as well to exercise their spelling and language skills.
Materials:
Magazines (food magazines are what we used)
Scrapbook paper (available at Gourdo’s craft section)
Scissors
Glue
1. Spend time with your child cutting out photos from magazines. In this case, the theme of the collage is different kinds of food. Allow him to get a variety of photos.
2. Lay out the cutout photos onto a piece of scrapbook paper.
3. Go back to the magazines and cut out letters to form words for the different types of food that have been cut and laid out on the collage.
4. Have your child make a collage of the images and the letters he cut out.
5. Hang the collage in the kitchen, if it’s food themed, or in your child’s room.
Reprinted from Baby Magazine
