Tuesday, March 04, 2008
National Craft Month...
Did you know that March is National Craft Month? I must admit that I was not aware of this until recently, but what a great reason to celebrate! Children love doing crafts and there’s no better time then now to get them participating in one of their favorite activities! National Craft Month is the perfect opportunity to share some fun and exciting crafts.
Did you know that March is National Craft Month? I must admit that I was not aware of this until recently, but what a great reason to celebrate! Children love doing crafts and there’s no better time then now to get them participating in one of their favorite activities! National Craft Month is the perfect opportunity to share some fun and exciting crafts. Crafting is currently an over $30 billion industry and the education market makes up a large part of it. Why? Because teachers know the educational value of teaching with crafts! The education industry spends $1.3 billion annually on craft supplies and teachers spend on average $250 a year of their own money on craft supplies. They know that hands-on assignments stimulate the imagination of their students and reinforce learning.
My husband says that the best thing about making crafts in childcare is that we can save on our garbage bill by using all the disposable "stuff" and making something that gets sent home with the parents at the end of the day....
I have shared some great art and craft sites on this blog, but today I would like to explore some new places that deal specifically with crafts...
- A great place for craft ideas is in the Teacher Resources of Lakeshore Learning. Most of us child care providers that have been around awhile are familiar with this company and the quality of craft supplies that they offer.
- Another site to find good craft ideas (especially for slightly older children) is Teacher Place.org. One nice aspect to this site is that crafts are categorized as age appropriate.
- One of my favorite places for craft ideas continues to be Family Fun. Don't forget to check out the "Quick and Easy" section when you need an idea fast.
- Another site that we have talked about in the past with a lot of craft resources is Kids Turn Central.
- And we can't forget to mention DLTK's Crafts for Kids site.
- Family Crafts has... well... crafts for the family.
- Another site with fun ideas is Amazing Moms. Don't forget to read their tips for making crafts with kids.
- For a good selection of crafts specifically for preschoolers and toddlers, check out the craft section at the Baby Zone.
- Though you must pay a subscription to get most of the products, Enchanted Learning is one of the most comprehensive craft sites on the web.
- A great listing of craft ideas from eSSORTMENT.
- For crafts for kids of all ages, stop at 1stopkidscrafts, or suite 101, or craftbits, or makingfriends, or freekidscrafts, or etc...
If you are looking for an inexpensive place to purchase craft kits and supplies, my favorite is still Oriental Trading Company. I don't make anything from recommending them, but I have been a satisfied customer for many years...
There are more than enough craft ideas on these site to keep us busy until next March! But did I miss your favorite resource? If so, post a comment and share it with us.
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 3:50 PM 
