One of my dear friends in Washington state, a coworker from Home Depot who became a friend (after an initial conflict of two strong women and their personalities!), has a young son, and is a stay at home Mom. One thing that she struggles with sometimes is finding activities to do with her son, and since she often watches her sister's son as well, with both boys.
Which is where I come in, with my "boredom kit". I'm filling an ordinary storage box (Walmart, $2) with various art supplies (crayons, paint markers, felt, glitter, glue, etc.), educational supplies (books, flashcards, etc.), and "fun" (things like the "monster" squishy toys, Play-Doh, Play Sand, etc.).
A variation of this was made by a friend of mine through the Facebook group, Libyans and Americans United for Peace and Friendship, for her grandkids for Eid, with coloring sheets, craft supplies, and toys from a dollar store.
This sort of thing is so easy to prepare, and will bring any child a lot of fun through play and will also help them to gain a lifelong love of learning, inshallah.
The start, so far:
I am definitely an aficionado of author and teacher MaryAnn F. Kohl, the author of several of my favorite titles for kids, including "Mudworks", a book with a plethora of clay recipes, both edible and inedible; "Global Art:, with projects to help children learn about their world; Preschool Art, with art projects designed for the younger set; and many others. She has a list of "suggested" and "favorite" art supplies, most of which I'll be including. They are:
1) Liquid watercolors (I prefer Crayola)
2) Plasticine Play Clay (or other non-hardening clay)
3) Glitter, sequins, and other sparklies
4) Art tissue (white and colors)
5) Construction paper (again, I prefer Crayola)
6) White glue (strong preference for Elmer's school glue... it's what I used in school)
7) Masking tape/duct tape (the Duck brand comes in a wide variety of colors for projects ranging from pen "roses" to wallets)
8) Sharpie markers (both black and colored)
9) Water-based colored markers (slight preference for Crayola and for the scented ones)
10) Good quality white drawing paper (I prefer Crayola).
.... and lastly, MUD. Which can be splatter painted onto paper and which looks really cool dried. Along these lines is sand as well, which can be easily colored, and which is in abundance in Libya (winks).
I also will be putting Crayola Model Magic air dry clay, safety scissors from Crayola or Fiskars, Crayola Window markers and crayons (my friend's son has already used these... and loves them), Das Pronto air dry clay for more advanced projects, etc.
I expect shipping will be expensive, but anything for children is worth the expense.
Here's the finished kit:
I ended up adding more than I'd intended. But some special bargains: one, the Crayola Dry-Erase board. I don't know if it's this price at ALL Walmarts, but at the one in Covina, CA, the dry erase board and 8 crayons was $2.25. Those same crayons, WITHOUT the board, are $3.99.
Which is where I come in, with my "boredom kit". I'm filling an ordinary storage box (Walmart, $2) with various art supplies (crayons, paint markers, felt, glitter, glue, etc.), educational supplies (books, flashcards, etc.), and "fun" (things like the "monster" squishy toys, Play-Doh, Play Sand, etc.).
A variation of this was made by a friend of mine through the Facebook group, Libyans and Americans United for Peace and Friendship, for her grandkids for Eid, with coloring sheets, craft supplies, and toys from a dollar store.
This sort of thing is so easy to prepare, and will bring any child a lot of fun through play and will also help them to gain a lifelong love of learning, inshallah.
The start, so far:
TOP PHOTO: Crayola crayons, Elmer's School Glue, and Elmer's School Glue Glue Sticks, pipe cleaners, paint markers, and squishy monsters... more supplies to come (including The First Thousand Words in Spanish-- book and sticker book).
BOTTOM PHOTO: Lid for the kit, decorated with the same paint markers in the kit. I plan to include some sort of paintable object, whether it be ceramic, a window catcher, or Russian dolls. Not sure. The child recipient is a very intelligent three year old.
I am definitely an aficionado of author and teacher MaryAnn F. Kohl, the author of several of my favorite titles for kids, including "Mudworks", a book with a plethora of clay recipes, both edible and inedible; "Global Art:, with projects to help children learn about their world; Preschool Art, with art projects designed for the younger set; and many others. She has a list of "suggested" and "favorite" art supplies, most of which I'll be including. They are:
1) Liquid watercolors (I prefer Crayola)
2) Plasticine Play Clay (or other non-hardening clay)
3) Glitter, sequins, and other sparklies
4) Art tissue (white and colors)
5) Construction paper (again, I prefer Crayola)
6) White glue (strong preference for Elmer's school glue... it's what I used in school)
7) Masking tape/duct tape (the Duck brand comes in a wide variety of colors for projects ranging from pen "roses" to wallets)
8) Sharpie markers (both black and colored)
9) Water-based colored markers (slight preference for Crayola and for the scented ones)
10) Good quality white drawing paper (I prefer Crayola).
.... and lastly, MUD. Which can be splatter painted onto paper and which looks really cool dried. Along these lines is sand as well, which can be easily colored, and which is in abundance in Libya (winks).
I also will be putting Crayola Model Magic air dry clay, safety scissors from Crayola or Fiskars, Crayola Window markers and crayons (my friend's son has already used these... and loves them), Das Pronto air dry clay for more advanced projects, etc.
I expect shipping will be expensive, but anything for children is worth the expense.
Here's the finished kit:
I ended up adding more than I'd intended. But some special bargains: one, the Crayola Dry-Erase board. I don't know if it's this price at ALL Walmarts, but at the one in Covina, CA, the dry erase board and 8 crayons was $2.25. Those same crayons, WITHOUT the board, are $3.99.
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