DD1 (3.5) really wants to do something crafty. Her drawing and colouring in aren't up to much yet. Any suggestions?

[suiledonne]

She has seen ads for beads, paper and all different kinds of sets but I don't know if anything like that is suitable.
She loves gluing and sticking but can't colour inside the lines or drawing many recognisable things yet.

She has plenty of pencils, felt tips etc but wants to make something like she sees on TV.

something like this?

not tried it though yet

Looks good. The pieces look a good size for little fingers.

Does it really matter if she can't colour inside the lines? Give her a packet of crayons, a big roll of paper and let her explore.

With my 2 DS (3.7 & almost 2) I've just done potato print wrapping paper this morning. Get a big roll of paper (Wilkinsons do a roll of white paper for 99p or buy a roll of brown paper), cut a potato in half and cut shapes out in it (I did a star and a Christmas tree) then get some festive paint (red/green/silver/gold) and start stamping!! :-)

For Christmas presents for grandparents I'm going to get some cheap photo frames and get DS1 to stick small pebbles or beads or sequins to them with PVA (then put a photo of kids in there).

It doesn't matter at all - just wanted to give an idea of her skills to help with suggestions.

It's something she wants to do.

Asda sell Mister Maker craft kits - sock puppets, stick animals, pom pom pets etc for about £4 each. DS loves them (so does DH to be honest)

Would I be better off making up a box of glue, glitter, paints, crepe paper type stuff rather than buying a kit?

Any suggestions of what else I could put in it?

She won't get any better without practice, so I'd get her the thing she's asked for, tbh.

Actually, come to think of it Asda & Tesco do wee craft kits with all that stuff in for about a fiver. They're in a kind of toolbox/tupperware type contraption

Not sure if it is my explanation of things or what but just to clear things up -

She has loads of pencils, felt tips etc and does drawing, colouring in etc regularly.

She can't colour inside the lines yet - it doesn't matter to me at all as long as she refrains from colouring in the curtains and floors

She has asked me for one of the making kits she has seen advertised on TV. I was wondering what is suitable for her age/skill level as she is my oldest so no experience with this stuff.

Thanks

You can make picture frames by cutting out two squares or rectangles of cardboard and then remove a smaller square/ rectangle from one of them. Glue around 3 sides to make a picture frame. Decorate by drawing or sticking on things.

Make pasta necklaces by threading string through pasta shapes. You can spray them with paint fiirst if you like but do it outdoors so they don't breathe the fumes/ make too much mess.

Buy the books where painting with water makes colours appear. Sorry don't know the proper name but look in pound shops.

Buy some stencils and encourage her to draw her name and colour it in. Hang on her door.

Get large cardboard box and turn into dolls house by sticking fabric "carpet" on floors. Paint the walls first with small pots of paint from diy shop.

Do hand and finger prints, messy but fun. I still have some the children did years ago

wilkinsons have some cheap craft kits which are very easy to make.

More art than craft, but The Scribble Book is fantastic. Perfect for that age. A sort of colouring book with a difference. No need to stay in the lines.

Decopatch is fantastic for small hands - you can make some really quite attractive decorated boxes etc that make great presents with quite small children.

A giant roll of lining paper is always a good investment IME - biiiig pictures are always so much more fun. DD made a 'life-size-me' at about that age - she lay down, I drew round her, then she added her clothes, face etc. You can cut her out bits of paper to stick on if she wants, wool for hair etc.

If you don't mind providing a reasonable amount of help, peg dollies are fun too - dd (now 7) was making some when my friend came round with her just 3 year-old, and he definitely did a fair bit of creating himself, and of course you end up with the dollies to play with (also opportunities for turning shoebox into a bed etc.

I just give DD's (3.9 and 2) a box of crafty stuff, felt tips, crayons, foam shapes, sequins, ripped up tissue paper, googlie eyes, from pound shops, pritt sticks and paper and let them go nuts.

My youngest DS turned 3 in August and absolutely loves art and craft. For his birthday - I just bought loads of bits and bobs like you suggested including:

Sellotape and sellotape dispenser (sounds strange but he loves tape!)
Sequins
Felt shapes
Stickers
Stamps and ink pads
Various types of paper and card
Mr Maker book (which is great)
Big pot of glue
These stencils (which he loves and uses all the time - loads of different sets available)
and some cheap storage boxes with handles from poundshop to store it all in.

we asked for a box of crafty stuff as a joint present for my two boys (then 3yrs 10mnths and 2yrs 8mnths) last christmas from an auntie. She went out and bought a plastic storage box and filled it with allsorts of art and craft stuff .. pens, paper, glue, feathers, stampers, card, beads etc. They love it and its still going strong now, also we can just add extras when they run out or we find something different. Luckily my eldest dd who is 9 is very crafty and is always showing the boys how to make things like hats, swords, paper handbags .. cant find a link to those at the mo (she just generally makes them up!) but here is a link to a really simple christmas tree paper design

www.origami-resource-center.com/kirigami-christmas-tree.html

those magic maize things, elc used to sell it

www.kidsplaytime.co.uk/products/magic-maize-starter-kit.htm

www.notimeforflashcards.com/

This is a good site, with lots of craft ideas.

Our box (which I'm filled myself) has:
Coloured paper and card
Paints
Glue
Glitter
Sequins
Stickers
Feathers
Foam Shapes
Pom poms
Dried pasta and rice (he loves making pictures from this!)
Googly eyes
pipe cleaners
Tissue Paper

There is probably all sorts of other rubbish in there but he loves making pictures (and generally a whole heap of mess)

I bought my ds (2 yrs) this. I was going to buy everything individually but this is a great price for what you get. Much cheaper than buying all the individual bits.

These look good too

My daughter was like that too. Couldn't colour within the lines in her colouring book. I got her a lightbox (Winnie the pooh) from Toys r us and using the lightbox, she would follow outlines. That got her fingers to be more accurate and precise.

Now, she is excellent at colouring and drawing and is forever drawing. She's 5 now, and wiht her 7yr old sister, they are forever doing crafting. I got them lots of small shape cutters so they are always cutting paper bits and sticking them.

Now that they are precise in colouring, I have bought lots of plastic moulds and 3 kgs of plaster cast so during the hols, they and their friends paint the figurines that I make for them.

When they were small, I help them with their motor skills by getting lots of craft things for them to do. Mainly from Bakerross. I got them things like sewing hand puppets. glass painting, lots of stenciling books, threading play buttons/ cotton reels, doing clay modeling together etc.

Getting loads of puzzle books help too like join the dots, mazes etc so they help with their precision.

Sorry this is so long. Both my girls were like that but not they are excellent in colouring and crafting. It also helps their concentration etc.

agree with magic maize, it's great