Crafty

So recently I have spent all of my time and all of my mom’s money creating a craft closet for Ally and Cooper. I am a very crafty person and from what I can tell so are the kids. Ally loves to scrapbook, she is already coloring inside the lines and she can stencil like a pro! Cooper has mastered stickers and stamps and loves to color. So to keep the house organized and to help feed my obsessive compulsive nature I created a craft closet full of everything from googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom poms, foamies, paper, 10 pair of scissors, stamps and everything else you could ever possibly imagine. It’s super easy to just open the closet and ask “What should we make today?”

On top of the crafting closet I created plenty of space in the playroom for their artistic needs. They have their own crafting table from Ikea along with 2 easels in the playroom so there is never a lack of space to create. The main reason for all of this (other than my obsessive need to organize)? It entertains them for hours…all I have to do is turn on some music, sit them at the table with a craft and I am good to do homework, clean up, or play on the computer for a good 30 minutes before help is needed.

Little did I know when I was creating this crafting area how good it was for the kids. Expert Alec Colchico from the website “A Place of Their Own” explains:

"Art activities also help children’s social and emotional development. Children
learn about themselves and others through art activities. It really helps them
build self-esteem. It’s an opportunity for children to make a personal statement
about their uniqueness through art while allowing them to express happiness,
joy, and pride.

Art also enhances children’s cognitive development which
can help kids with their early math skills. Children who have experienced a wide
range of people and places will have an array of ideas to choose from when doing
art. Art reflects what a child knows about the world and enables the child to
choose how to translate those ideas and experiences.

Finally, art is
important because it allows children to be creative. Each piece of clay
manipulated or each easel painting is individual and original to each child in
your program. Art is open-ended and all work can be honored.

Art should
be an everyday activity."

You can read the whole article here http://aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=235

I feel like a pretty amazing sister right this moment.

More importantly... in 20 years when they are geniuses with
amazing jobs. They should read this and remember who made them that amazing
craft closet...because I will probably STILL be in college and in serious
need
of support.

I'll post pictures of their amazing artwork
soon!