Toys have been around for centuries, although their materials have change over the years, children still enjoy them just the same. In the early 19th century you would have seen a child playing with handcrafted wooden toys, now days most toys are made out of plastic materials. In the early centuries it may have taken a father weeks to give their toddler an intricately made wooden horse, doll cradle or toy car, but when it was finished the child knew that it was made with love and dedication. When we give our children toys in this day and age all we have to do is drive to the store and choose from the hundreds of items that line the shelves. Toys are a wonderful invention but may be taken better care of and appreciated more if we put our own time and effort into making them ourselves.
Boys love cars, animals, trains, and blocks. Little girls admire dolls, strollers, flowers and kitchen accessories. Something that boys and girls have in common is they love to make things; children are very hands on individuals and enjoy seeing their own creations. It is important for us as adults to interact with our children, and what better way than to help them develop their artistic abilities. Find what toys your little ones are most interested in and then look for ideas on how to make these objects by hand. As your kids work on their projects they will be amazed at what they can do. Although we adults may be doing the majority of the project our children will still feel a sense of accomplishment from the effort they put forth.
One craft idea for your little boy is to make fish out of cardstock or felt fabric and then attach a metal paperclip to its mouth. Make a fishing pole using a twig for the pole, string for the line, and a magnet for the hook. Your child will enjoy fishing all day long and will always be able to catch a fish. Another idea for your son it to make blocks out of cardboard or wood, if you are trying to teach him numbers or the alphabet paint them on the blocks or draw pictures of animals to increase your child’s vocabulary. If your child is interested in music sew together fabric instruments and then use a fabric paint to add detail, now your little boy can learn how to play the drums or piano without paying for lessons.
To impress your little girl make dolls out of cardstock or cardboard, if you want your daughter to help she can instead draw dolls on a piece of paper. Us decorative fabric to make dresses and outfits that your child can dress her dolls in. If your daughter is interested in kitchen playing, sew her some food made out of fabric and make dishes and silverware out of cardboard. Many little girls love flowers, to be creative you could use felt material to make different types of flowers, attach velcro to the backsides so the stems, leaves, petals, and pollen can stick together. As you help your children develop their sense of creativity, you may begin to remember some of the homemade creations or handcrafted wooden toys you enjoyed as a kid.