MAKE: simple kids crafts and fostering a creative little lady bug. 
Some of you may or may not know our infertility story and what a gift our little girl was for us. While I was pregnant, one of the things I looked forward to the most about being a mom was being able to someday create with my little ladybug. Why? Well, some of my fondest memories growing up were when I made stuff with my parents.
I remember being in the kitchen and helping my mom bake all the time. She encouraged me to make my own recipes and experiment. My first “recipe” involved mashed Oreos and Cool Whip and who knows what else… Well, actually, you can see the recipe card below. (Yes, my mom saved it. So cute of her, right? Please ignore the chocolate fingerprints and spelling errors. I was probably about seven years old?)
Did “Shannon’s Surprize” taste good? I don’t remember, but I DO remember carefully writing down my recipe and placing that card in my mom’s recipe box with all of her other “grown-up” recipes. It was a proud moment that I still recall to this day.
Growing up, my two brothers and I all worked with our parents to make things. My mom and I crafted together (often with Girl Scouts) while my dad helped my brothers with the logistics of building things (Like cool igloos outside in the winter… we grew up in upstate New York and we got a ton of snow!). I remember watching and helping my dad build things from scratch… our own swing set, his tool bench and loads of other DIY home projects. If he could not find what he needed for a job (or it was too expensive), he’d make it himself after some research.
I think this creative environment is why my brothers and I each possess a strong desire to make things. My brothers are both graphic designers and ‘create’ all day… and they are also very handy at home with DIY projects. In general, the three of us are not afraid to learn and try a new skill or activity ourselves. I thank my parents for that fact.
I want to foster that creative confidence and experimentation in my little ladybug, too.
So, while I was pregnant, I started to collect a few kids craft ideas. As soon as Little C was old enough, I tried to make stuff with her. We made simple things like aluminum foil shapes and cardboard box cars. (She also goes to daycare a couple of days a week and I love that they do art projects with her, too.)
She is a typical toddler and currently loves to color, build with blocks and put stickers on everything. It is so much fun watching her create and imagining all of those little gears turning in her head.
Watching Little C make things encourages me to see things through her new eyes. It has been a lot of fun and, in a way, inspires me to want to create more of my own projects.
I know many of y’all have kids and you might like some crafty inspiration to share with your family. I plan to incorporate kid craft ideas into the rotation of topics I share here. If you can’t wait for those ideas, I’ve started to compile a huge Simple Kids Crafts board on Pinterest to corral all of these awesome kids ideas I see across blogland.
Like any of the projects I’m drawn to… all of these crafts are simple and easy. The ideas range in age-appropriateness from toddler to pre-teen, so I’m sure there’s something on this board to inspire your little one!
Be sure to follow this board, because I will continue to add to it over time as I see more fun ideas.
Stay tuned for more kid-friendly craft fun around here, too!
