The ideal follow-up to the much-buzzed-about The Grown-Up’s Guide to Making Art with Kids,The Grown-Up’s Guide to Crafting with Kids features more tactile projects that will improve kids’ fine motor and visual processing skills, in addition to strengthening their focus and memory. Plus, crafting is super fun!
The book follows the same format as the first in the Grown-Up’s Guide series, consisting of multiple creative prompts, exercises, and step-by-step crafting projects that children and adults can do together. Author Vicki Manning, who runs a popular Instagram account where she regularly posts craft projects that she’s done with her own kids, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Crafting with Kids appeals to parents, caregivers, grandparents, teachers, and anyone else who wants to spend creative time with the kids in their lives. Kids will love working with adults to make crafts, which include:
Clay robots
Pom-pom ice-cream cones
Sun printing
Treasure boxes
Wax-resist bookmarks
And much more
Chapters on tools and materials, sourcing materials around the home and outside, and suggestions for engagement and craft-making are included as well. Crafters and families likely already have most of the items they need for the projects, so it's easy to get started now. Plus, cleanup is quick afterward!
With fun, colorful, and appealing artwork and projects; easy-to-follow instructions; and crafts made from accessible, affordable, and popular materials, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Crafting with Kids will quickly become an essential book for families, preschool and elementary schools, art classes, and more.
The Grown-Up's Guide to Crafting with Kids is a tutorial guide and resource filled with fun crafting projects for kids (and their adults). Released 2nd June 2020 by Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 128 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
I really liked the exuberance and fun energy of this book. The author is enthusiastic and upbeat and the project tutorials are colorful and engaging. The layout is easy to follow. The author enumerates some of the benefits of crafting: encouraging creativity, building self-confidence, mindfulness, fine motor skills, and not least, spending time bonding. The author also includes a short chapter about materials and tools.
The crafting prompts and tutorials are grouped thematically: nature crafts, things found around the house, and found objects and recycled project materials. The bulk of the content is given over to the projects. Each one includes an intro/description, tools and materials, and step by step photo tutorial. The photography is clear and abundant. There are color photos on every page. Alternate steps and enhancements are included for many of the activities.
This would make a superlative choice for a staying home activity, as well as a great idea for a library or classroom activity (when we can gather together again).
Five stars. There are a lot of good ideas here.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
