5 DIY Projects That Will Help You Connect With Your Kids
Stringing new ideas together in a fun and interesting way is at the core of innovation, and can be learned by doing a project with your kids.
Summer is upon us, and for many kids the extra free time may be a welcome change from the routine of school and after-school activities. But be wary, this can also mean a tendency for kids to regress into activities that seem harmless at first, because everyone else is doing them. Like surfing the web or social media using electronic gadgets, playing video games, etc. These may be fun for a short while, but they actually steal time without creating opportunities to learn. The key to successfully providing your kids with a constructive and fun summer is to create opportunities for them to learn something new, in a fun way, so they experience the feelings of reward and gratification at having accomplished something novel, like a project.
It is proven that if kids engage in play-based learning with hands-on creative activities, they will learn much better in all disciplines. Creativity is the ability to think outside the proverbial box, and to string two unrelated ideas together in a new way. Solutions to major problems and breakthroughs of all kinds are linked to creativity. The ability to be creative is vital to the success of our children and the well-being of our world.
So what are you waiting for? Here are 5 fun DIY project ideas that will help you connect with your kids while also engaging them in a rewarding activity that you can bond over.
1. Make A Terrarium.
A terrarium is the perfect project for getting your young DIYer interested in gardening. They don’t require much upkeep, and are fun and easy to build. Plastic Sheets from Cut Plastic Sheeting are the ideal option for terrariums because, unlike glass, they don’t easily break which is perfect for kids, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Like an aquarium, an acrylic terrarium is also more durable and lighter than glass. You will also require some sand, crushed charcoal for drainage, aquarium gravel and small plants that do not get too large. All can be found at home and garden stores. Follow these steps to begin layering your materials into your terrarium, and then placing the plants inside in an eye-pleasing composition that provides each plant enough space to grow.
2. Paint Stones.
Collect some stones (the flatter the better) and paint them. Create butterflies, dot-filled designs, faces and just get creative! And once you have a bunch of them, give them away to your friends, or better yet—hide them for others to discover. You and your kids can place them at the base of trees, in playgrounds or on hiking trails wherever people may happen to look by chance and spy a colorful, enchanting, mysteriously painted stone at the corner of their eye. Your kids will love the sensation of being part of the creative process, and they will experience joy knowing that someone will be enchanted by the chance discovery of their artistic work.
3. Family Tie-Dye Project.
Originating from China and Japan, tie-dye fabrics were boiled and then soaked in hot, dyed water to take on a new color. You can have a day of family tie-dye fun and encourage your kids to make a mess for once. Create some amazing memories, brighten up your wardrobe and have a fantastic load of fun. Here is a guide to give you lots of ideas on how you and your kids can make amazing tie-dye designs.
4. Dream-Catcher Necklace.
In many Native American tribes, a dream catcher is a handmade willow hoop woven into a web or literally, a net. The legend is that the net absorbs bad dreams at night and discharges them during the day. Feathers attached to the net act like ladders allowing good dreams to descend onto the one who is sleeping. This might appear to be a tricky craft project, but dream catchers are quite simply made of a hoop (like a bracelet), some kind of weave in the center, and a tail of feathers. Beads can also be added to the net. This craft allows kids to work with their hands and make something beautiful in the process. Follow the steps here to make your dreamcatcher necklace, and ensure they have harmonious daydreams too.
5. DIY Walking Blocks.
If carpentry is your forte′ and you want to introduce your kids to woodworking while bonding with them on a fun project they will enjoy, try this. Unlike the tin-can version of walking blocks, these are far less ‘clangy’ and instead more “clompy”, but no less fun. It is an easy project that can be completed in less than an hour and with materials you may already have at home, if you regularly work with wood. Follow the instructions here.
Conclusion
As parents, we also may welcome the changes to our busy schedules that come with summer holidays, and look for ways to connect with our kids while they are fully able to engage in something new. After all, these opportunities do not come often, or last forever. A DIY project with your kids is a great way to connect with and keep your kids engaged and happy while also encouraging fine motor skills, neural development and problem-solving abilities.
Author Bio
Ray Ko has been creating effective visual merchandising and interior design strategies for retailers for more than 20 years. Today, he is the senior ecommerce manager for shopPOPdisplays, a leading designer and manufacturer of stock and custom acrylic product.
