Not a creative bone in my body...please help!

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Is this the right place for me to be posting?

What "must haves" arts / crafts would you recommend for DCs? I am not underplaying things when I say I don't have a creative bone in my body. I know we should have pens, pencils, play doh, maybe a few stickers, safety scissors and some glue but after that I'm clueless.

Any advice on what to buy, where to buy, best storage, inspirational books / websites to show we could actually make would be appreciated. What do your DCs love doing?

I've got a DS 7yrs and DD 2yrs who need entertaining keeping away from tele.

I'm pg and finding it increasingly exhausting going out so a creative morning inside is starting to seem like a good option even though have previously avoided arts and crafts at all cost as am hopeless and hate tidying up for hours when the kids have only been busy for just 10 minutes

Thank you.

Have you tried Pinterest? Amy Clark from Momadvice.com has two boards up specifically for keeping the kids occupied all summer - a good collection of activities and projects to get you going if you don't want to scour numerous boards.
momadvice link

Washable glue. My dd loves sticking things.

My two year old loves stickers. A sheet of coloured card and a few packets of stickers - easy!

Wilkinson's often have cheap and easy craft kits that would work for a seven year old.

Honestly, you don't need to spend loads of money, some PVA glue, and some paints (get the primary colours - anything else can be mixed from them)

Then gather together in a big cardboard box anything that could be stuck together to make models, or could be used for decorating/collage etc. - so old wallpaper, wrapping paper, coloured foil (e.g.from sweetie wrappers), cardboard boxes and tubes of all shapes and sizes, caps from bottles, beads, wool, fabric scraps - anything colourful and textural that can be stuck and cut.

Then release them onto the box and let them create - you can give them a few ideas if they can't get going - animals, castles, houses, vehicles, monsters, dinosaurs, imaginary beasts, people, robots - whatever. They'll probably come up with their own ideas.

If they want to paint - use the back of old rolls of wallpaper, or buy rolls of lining paper - v-cheap and they can do big pictures.

Newspaper over all the surfaces (or a big sheet of polythene if you've got one) for protection, an old mens shirt worn back to front for an overall and you are away. Have fun!

I agree with KK. My dd has always loved sticking boxes together and adding wool, sweet wrappers, wool etc. I try to save all the small boxes like stock cubes etc so they don't all end up massive! My ds is always happy sticking 2 toilet rolls together to make binoculars!

Thank you! I'm feeling hopeful!

How about a morning of junk modelling? We've had a fair amount of packaging from having one of the DC's birthdays but I'm sure any household recycling would be good. We did a space scene - which involved getting a bit of plastic packpaging that had held something inside a box (so it wasn't flat, it had nooks and crannys) - covering it with tin foil and then letting them loose with sticking other bits of alien stuff on it (like bottle tops, loo rolls, string bags onions came in, random bits of paper). Sometimes sticking with sellotape is better if they want to play with them then and there....otherwise have to wait for glue/paint to dry. My DC then played with their 'models' with lego and playmobil stuff in them.

I saw on Pinterest a backpack rocket made from a shoe box painted with crepe paper at the back. that looked good - haven't done it.

Or get an empty shoe box or whatever and get them to do a nature box - pick leaves and grasses, sticks etc and made a little nature land. They can add real insects/bugs (mine are equipped with magnifying glasses!) or just play stuff you have.

shrinkies are quite good for the 7yo (and a helped out 2 yo) and scratch art stuff.

if you want kits of art and craft stuff you could visit Yellow Moon/Baker Ross - they have alsorts there.

I have a blog online dedicated to doing arts and crafts with preschool children but I feel your 7 year old would still like the ideas. Many of the ideas on the site are cheap and reuse items around the house. I hope that you enjoy this.

My typing arm is a bit caput or I would add more, but good ideas above, but IME an important one - get down to poundland or 99p Store & buy a few of those plastic table covers - they are great for laying down on floor or putting over a table for kids to get messy on - they wash fine, so have spares to swap around - DON"T shake & DO lift carefully if they've been gluing & its dried on though - if you don't I know from experience it will look like santas been

Also loo roll & kitchen roll innards make great owls, cats & strung togther snakes & more & strips of egg boxes can becone caterpillars - paint, stick on or whatever the DCs can handle

Go to the pound shop. They have tons of craft stuff

Do you have a garden? Outdoor painting is definitely the way to go if you want to minimise mess. They can also use hands and feet. Just provide a bowl of soapy water for cleaning themselves before they are allowed back in.

for

mess ideas-haven't looked for a while but Asda smartprice used to do big plastic shower curtains for £1. they cover a big space.

A few more ideas --- Pasta tube/macaroni/penne etc can take hours to paint for a 7 yr old - any paints will do - DD used to use the cheap poster paints from ELC & the works - they can then be strung together to make jewellery - - they are also good for sticking onto paper for doing collage along with other pasta shapes, lentils, rice etc etc - stick on with PVA & paint - a 2 yr old can have a go at this too.

Brass rubbing is another thats good at both ages - no drawing skills required but they can both get an image, which will really excite tthem - you need metalic coloured crayons, gold, silver, etc & black or dark coloured paper (again poundland etc usually have pads of this- then find some thing to "rub" anything that has texture/relief will do - I've even took DD to a church to do this, but you need to ask permission first, but they were lovely about it & DD who was only 4 at the time absolutely loved it :)

Thank you for taking the time to post everyone. Am inspired and hoping rest of summer holidays are fun for DCs now...and I can have a coffee and watch from safe distance...

Love the brass rubbing idea for DS. He'd love that. I've started saving loo roll innards etc! not sure how I'm going to turn into an owl?

Shower curtain a great idea too. Going to get some paint trays for outside and they can just shove their hands in there.

great that you are feeling inspired :)

bun/muffin tins make great paint palettes - they can mix up colours & wash out easily afterwards

are you on Pinterest ?? - if not, pm me with an e-mail & I can send you an invite - LOADS of stuff on there & I'm pretty sure I've seen the loo roll owls done on there too - will try & link to it & yes brass rubbing is great - they get a picture at the end even if they haven't yet sussed out the motor skills to draw, so its always a winner with little one :)

I'll be back

Loo Roll Owls & Batman & more in here

you might want to use those stick on foam shapes with your DS - again poundland or the works

Have pm'd you!

Have replied & sent invite - enjoy XX