Crafty ways to get kids off screens
By Celia Goodyear
Screens are everywhere today, and sometimes it can be hard for children to stay off them. Arts and crafts projects are just one way to make that happen.
Take a Class
Corks & Colors is a local place where children – and adults – can explore their creative sides. It offers a variety of activities and mediums to explore including clay, paint and do–it–yourself options.
The studio is open from 12-6 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday, and from 12-9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Creativity at Home
Children can also tap into their creativity without leaving home.
“Creativity takes many forms,” said Erika Tonnelier, owner of Corks & Colors Studio in Gainesville. “Change your environment and notice your surroundings. Make dinner without a recipe. Walk your dog a different route. Organize your closet. Be bored. Anything out of your routine forces you to think creatively.”
Here are just a few options for ways to help kids stay off their screens with arts and crafts at home:
Painted baskets
This craft is a simple one to get started. Just take plain wooden baskets and paint the sides. Kids can then use them for all sorts of things, including taking their toys in and out of the house.
Paper bag kites
Decorate a paper bag with stickers, tape, markers, paint or anything else. Then, cut a tiny hole in the bottom of the bag for the kite string. Cut a piece of string or yarn approximately 18-24 inches long. Tie one end to the middle of a popsicle stick and put the other end through the hole in the bag. Finally, stick streamers to the open end of the bag with tape.
Key windchime
To create this craft, all that is needed is five old keys, a stick, string and acrylic paint. Kids can paint the keys and stick them in their desired fashion. Then, tie a piece of string on either end of the stick as well as tie the keys onto it. After that, it can be hung outside and enjoyed when the wind blows.
Bubble painting
Mix half a cup of water with a few squirts of dish soap and paint. Kids can then blow lots of colored bubbles and create different layered paintings by putting construction or watercolor paper on top of the cup and bubbles.
Woven rainbow fish
Start by cutting long strips of differently colored paper. Then, cut out the shape of a fish and fold it in half. From there, cut slits close together. Weave the pieces of colored paper through the slits and trim the top and bottom to look like fish fins. Extra scraps of paper can be added around the body and the tail to give it more details.
