1. Development of Fine Motor Skills
When starting to craft with your kids there are many craft projects help develop the small muscles in the hands. Using both hands at the same time helps with bilateral coordination, this will help the younger kids with such common activities as dressing and elementary-age kids with legible handwriting. Fine motor skill development increases coordination when catching, walking, and many other movement skills such as grasping, and using both hands at the same time.
2. Reading comprehension skills and math concepts when doing a craft with your kids
Kids love to talk about what they made! This opens up communication and allows you as the parent to engage in questions about why they chose certain colors or designs or fabric etc. They learn new vocabulary when following verbal and written instructions.
Many crafts require understanding mathematical equations or measurements such as using a ruler when measuring fabric, using fractions when following a recipe, and understanding measurements and shapes when doing a craft with your kids.
3. Creativity
So much of crafting requires children to express their uniqueness. Self-expression, creativity, expressing feelings, and trying new things to problem solve are all part of the creative process. These projects teach kids to love the “process” of making something and less about the outcome, this increases their resilience and acceptance that it will not be perfect, but appreciating the process of making the craft. When you are doing a craft with your kids they can learn to love the process even if they are not the best at it, they can explore and try new things to see what they personally love.
4. Self-Esteem
Doing a craft with your kids give them a sense of achievement and reaching a goal while providing stress relief. They can take pride in their work and build self-confidence and patience with themselves and others. Crafts are a great place to practice failing. The beauty of arts and crafts is that you can just re-create it and try again and experiment and it’s ok to make mistakes. Mistakes can also be a new creative and fun way to experiment. Making mistakes develops patience and creates a learning opportunity for regulating emotions when a project is more difficult than expected.
5. Making memories
This is one of the best reasons that we love crafting; Make memories!
These projects allow you to engage with your child and to socialize with others that enjoy creating as well. This is the perfect format to mentor, talk, giggle, support, be silly together, get messy and just have some quality time with your child one-on-one.
I would love to hear what benefits you find when doing a craft with your kids!
The Makers Club online kids membership offers machine sewing projects, hand sewing projects, and more each month!
