Any tips on encouraging older kids 8 and above to be more crafty-any ideas, blog,site,book,idearecommendations?

[PolkadotCircus]

Tia

There just seems to be very little to encourage older children and they get so little at school.

[PolkadotCircus]

Apologies for clumsy title,iPad woes!

[overmydeadbody]

I tihnk just encourage them to be creative and use their imaginations.

Encourage them to make things they want or need, rather than buy them. Browse pinterest with then, collect scraps of wood, cardboard, etc that can be used to make stuff, have a stock of other crafty materials (doesn't have to be expensive or 'sets')

Have a space in the house or their room where they can be crafty and spread out big projects to work on.

I build a very bid workstation across one wall of DS's room, using a big cheet of thick plyboard and an old shelf I cut in half to use as trestles that I mounted the plyboard to with big brackets. I then painted it in a high gloss so everything wipes off it and it's big enough for all sorts of projects.

Think outside the box.

Get them to make their own birthday cards for people, instead of buying them.

If you have a local bead shop get there and let them choose beads and supplies to make their own jewellery (very fun, creative and doesn't have to be expensive or use horrible plastic florescent beads).

Browse Pinterest for ideas.

Make papier mache models with them, at the moment DS and I are working on a huge papier mache landscape for himt o use when playing with his world peace keepers (mini soldiers) and toy vehicles.

Collect old cardboard tubes (especially big ones from wrapping paper or ask for some from fabric shops) and plastic bottles and make a marble run.

Let them use tools to help in their creativity. Clue guns, staple guns, drills, screwdrivers, hammers, hacksaws etc are all very useful when being creative. Childrne over 8 are capable of using these tools safely and properly with the right teaching and uspervision.

Let them use your sewing machine of you have one. Encourage them to turn their old clothes into clothes for their teddies or barbie or whatever. Or turn old clothes into bags or purses.

Collect junk and bits and pieces for them to use.

Be ceative yourself. Childrne like to copy their parents.

Don't alwaus make the outcome the important thing, sometime sthe process is more important. DS made a wooden bed for his teddy bear once. He spent a few days on it, learnt a lot obout cutting wood, drilling holes, and using dowels and wood glue to hold joints together. It didn't matter to him that is broke after a few weeks, the fun was in the making!

Hope that helps. There are lots of good blogs out there iwth ideas and advice and projects with tutorials, same on pinterest.

[overmydeadbody]

I hate it when I write a really long detailed reply to someone's plea for help on MN and they don't even bother to come back and reply

[PolkadotCircus]

Just found this,sorry for the delay but don't come on arts often,apologies.

Anyhow,many thanks for the reply,some great ideas.

We have lots of paints,pencils etc and a playroom(albeit a cold one) with it all laid out and accessible, I just find they don't chose to paint and draw like I used to. I really want to get them into painting and drawing for pleasure.

I used to do loads of things with them when they were little to get them going but there seems to be very little out there for older kids.

Will have a look on Pinterest.

Many thanks again

[rockinhippy]

The other thing that might help is using a free online gallery to store their work, my own DD loves Look and Learn Art they have lots of competitions too & the opportunity to earn a little pocket money if their work is chosen for sale - this got my DDs interest I also love it,as no need to keep all their old artwork

[overmydeadbody]

Polka I'm glad you came back! I was paranoid that my post wasn't helpful enough to be worthy of a reply


Perhaps try viewing creativity as more than just painting and drawing? Lots of children go in and out of phases or drawing and painting, but they can still do lots of other arty creative tihngs.

Have you tried different media? A chalkboard? Letting them paint a mural on the wall of the craft room? Using canvas and oil paint instead of plain old A4 paper and children's paint?

Youtube has lots of tutorials for learning to draw things, perhaps they might like to watch those?

[Arcticwaffle]

My dds, aged 8-12, have always done lots of art and craft, I agree it gets a bit harder to find suitable activities as they get over 8, loads of activities are geared at "families" and that means a lot of little kids with short attention spans, but we've found several good weekend and holiday clubs - there are sessions at the local art gallery for 6-12 and 12-15 year olds which my dds go to, and they go to a monthly craft day at the local sewing shop, and they go to animation workshops which happen for a couple of weeks a year in our local area at museums and art galleries.

Things we do at home- buy lots of art and craft books, have a dedicated "craft table" for working on, though actually with 3 of them they spread around the house, and we download animation software and similar which 12yo is particularly keen on.

[NotADragonOfSoup]

I hate people who post purely to promote their own blog.

[MercedesKing]

How about using pictures leading him to have interests in the crafts you wanna him in? Well, My first motivation to make my own crafts is to make one like that in the picture for myself several years ago, don't know whether it works on child more than 8 years old, but guess you can have a try on that as well. If he or she loves it, he\she would like to have a try. Always thought interest is the best teacher, learn to respect the kid's own choice.

[50shadesofvomit]

I think you have to think more out of the box than general drawing.

My children have enjoyed Hama beads, sewing, learning to knit, making friendship bracelets, using "adult" materials like spray paint/tester size paints to revamp stuff they've grown out of, photography, making short films.. Can second Pinterest as inspiration. My 11 year old loved looking at pictures of mythical creatures like Dragons on there and drew a lovely picture. He also likes drawing cars.
My nearly 7 year old tends to draw scenes from his favourite film/TV/games. He drew a cracking picture of the famous "I am your father" scene from Star Wars yesterday where Darth Vader's looked like Stig as he'd forgotten to colour him in.

[marissab]

It's easy for boys if you go for more physical crafts. My son won't paint, draw, glue but is very interested in wood work. You can google beginners woodwork projects. Loads of toys and things like bows and arrows. Stilts are really easy. He also enjoyed making a tin can stove too. Also don't discount typically 'girl' crafts for boys. My boy loves to sew on a machine. Has been doing basic cushions since age 7.