Book Review
The over seventy ideas in this book may not all be new but they
are definitely good. I like that they include instructions for the
techniques as well as offer variations for a few of them (making
butterflies for the Rainbow Butterfly mobile using the blot technique
and making Mural people using the People painting technique). Most
of the crafts also have a small section called "Other things
to try" after the main instructions.
At the beginning of each chapter there is a section called "What
you need that outlines the materials and supplies you will need
for the crafts in that section. For example, in the Chapter on Painting,
the outline includes; Brushes, Paints, Paper, Containers, Items
for Experiments, and Covers and protectors with a brief explanation
for each. There is also an introduction to each chapter that sets
the tone and the feeling of that type of activity as well as hints
and tips for a successful and fun time doing the activity.
Fun Crafts for Kids is a very good book because it has been created
with children's best interests at heart. The author of the introduction
stresses that the activities in this book are all about having fun,
the process not the product. Safety is also important because parts
of the activities requiring adult assistance have an asterisk beside
it but this is also up to the discretion of the parents because
they know their child's capabilities best. The activities in this
book can be done by children 2 - 4+. For younger children the activities
need to be simplified and children older than four can experiment
with the extended activities in the Other things to try section.
This book is definitely inspiring with bright colored photos of
the children's artwork displayed vividly on its pages. It was also
mentioned in the introduction that the ideas in this book should
be used only as examples and children should use it as a "starting
point" which they can expand upon and create something of their
own. At the back of the book there is a list of materials you can
use to create a Rainy – Day Box that is definitely a must
in any household with children.
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