The Craft Box

   If you're looking for a fun way to entertain your grandchildren, you might want to assemble a craft box.  When I was teaching first grade, I quickly discovered that the most popular activity at center time was my art center.  This area contained everything from paints to buttons and the children were allowed the freedom to create anything they wished.  It was so much fun to watch how excited they got over just a little Scotch tape and a stapler!
   When I became a grandmother, I purchased a big plastic container and began to collect items so that I could create a craft box for my grandchildren.  First, I looked around the house and found things in my sewing room, my pantry and my desk that could be included. Then I began to look in the clearance areas at craft stores, fabric stores, and Walmart.  My box and some of the items can be seen below.

As you can see, it contains a wide assortment of items and I continually add to it when I find things on sale. 

It's provided hours of fun for my grandchild and as he grows, the items he creates become more complex and imaginative.

   Here's a suggested list of items for your box: children's scissors, construction paper, Scotch tape, watercolor paints & brushes, crayons, stapler, glue, glue sticks, yarn, cotton balls, buttons, yarn pompoms, wiggly eyes, felt, toilet tissue and paper towel tubes, beans, glitter, colored pencils, playdoh, jingle bells, pipe cleaners, string or thread, scraps of fabric, old Christmas and greeting cards, washable stamp pad and stamps, stickers from junk mailings, old magazines, paper plates, dry macaroni and washable markers.

   Many of these items can be purchased for very little at the back-to-school sales.

   Here's a few guidelines for use:

     1. If you use the craft box, it's your responsiblity to clean up after yourself.

     2. Always put a shoebox lid under anything being glittered.  (This prevents a huge mess and allows the discarded glitter to be collected and reused.)

     3. If more than one child is involved, sharing is a must! "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit." is the motto at our house! :)

Happy crafting and, grandparents, don't forget to display all the wonderful art work!  That's what those refrigerator doors were invented for!