Crafting with your kids

[LittleCreativeMum]

I'm in the process of setting up a new business making craft kits for kids and we are looking at our marketing. How many of you do craft things with your kids and how important is it to you to get you kids to experience crafts?

I know my two year old son loves it and I think its really important for his development and I feel its good for him to do things where he can see something being created. Hopefully later in life he will see it as a way to relax. But what about you guys?
The reason for asking is we are wondering if it is worth us trying to promote ourselves in craft magazines.
Thanks

My dc do a lot of creative stuff. Often its not really organised but just messing about with paint, glitter, old boxes etc. Sometimes if I see a nice set for crafts I will make something specific with them. I have also brought them to a few art workshops organised by the local council which were really good.

i love all things crafty but if i'm honest at 2 it was more paint, glue, glitter & clay than actual sets.

Now my dd is 6 we buy more sets (prob since age 4) i love hobby craft and yellow moon plus i get ideas online and the usbourne books. I would imagine you will have a much bigger market with girls, most of dd's friends love making stuff but i only know of one boy her age that really enjoys it.

My dc find some of the ready made craft kits a bit disappointing - glue does not stick, instructions too complicated or not enough materials etc. I buy stuff from our local scrap shop and combine it with other craft materials like stickers, tissue paper etc and leave the kids to it - it's always fun to see what they come up with. It's also a good party activity to let them decorate their own party bags -if you're brave, for market research, you could also test out new craft kits at parties!!

Dd 5 and ds 2 are always cutting and sticking. I've always found 'end product' crafts a difficult thing to get right for little ones and can lead to me getting frustrated when I can't help them do the idea. Much better to have a rough idea of what they might do and lovely materials. Some of my friends struggle to just let their dc loose with raw materials and feel uncertain what they should be doing. I always liked doodle do on c beebies where they made a lovely whatever it was and then showed real children making their own version. Maybe a kit with a bit of an end product, but with photos of what children actually made as well as the perfect adult's one might help craft phobes. Colour themed packs of bits and bobs? Canvas kit with scraps of lovely co ordinating material so that however they stuck it it would look beautiful and make a picture for their room - a range of different kits for different colour schemes? A mobile kit in similar style? I always tried to give dd nice stuff to stick with if I wanted a card or picture for gp etc. Because basically she really loved the glue and didn't really care what she was sticking. Actually- I think I'll get some patchwork bits tomorrow and get dc to make pictures!
Hope that helps.

Sorry op-got a bit carried away there-you weren't actually asking for ideas!

Thanks to everyone for your feedback.

Lifesabeech - been testing the kits with the local toddler group which was opened up to primary aged kids over the summer. It was great fun and really useful to get instant feedback. Also we will launch are own workshops at some stage. We do have a form on the website for kids to sign to be testers at www.littlecreativedays.co.uk

Like the idea or coordinated fabrics. Do want kids to make something beautiful and worthwhile.