Is Handicrafts done as a guided lesson by the parent or is it something the child does on thier own? Do you go off of a child’s interest? I have 2 boys and would love suggestions on what others have done. They are 9 and 7 (in the fall). We have tried soapcarving, but they lost interest quickly. What do you do when this happens?
They have both expressed an interest in taking photos, but I have no idea what that looks like as a “lesson”. How many times a week is this done?
I schedule it once a week for “instruction” purposes, but they are free to work on it whenever they want during their free time, and then I just jot it down as they do “extra” for my record keeping. I try to kind of use their interests, but also use this as a time to expand their horizons. One dd loves to experiement, the other would happily stay in her comfortable rut…
I am not a photographer, but you could schedule the first lesson to be parts and care of equipment, etc, Then I think that the next lesson could start by learning how to choose subjects and lighting, and now I am making it all up…but that would get them started. What if they took pictures of nature and saved them in a special book to be used as nature study during the really nasty days of winter? =)
My son does Lego Animations. My husband showed him how to setup an older digital camera on a table-top tripod (we got the tripod cheap), and how to take a picture, move the lego slightly, take another, etc.
I do help by moving the pictures on to the computer and load it into the software (I think it is Windows Movie Maker), and add music. When he is a bit older he can do that too.
He has made probably 20 or 30 animations… including things like a pirate ship sailing up, a rock band playing a song, a scene from Back to the Future (no talking), and many more. None of them are too sophisticated… but then his only 7!
We used to go to the free projects at the local hardware store (once a month)… but stopped when child 3 was born…. we got to get backin into that habit now that he is older! (the 5yo and 3yo would probalby enjoy it too….) They get a little apron like the store aproms, and get a cool project. It is mostly hammering and gluing… but is pretty fun!
June 27, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Anonymous
Inactive
Sheraz,
What a great idea about the pictures for nature notebook! I must admit, handicrafts hasn’t even been factored into my planning for next year yet. Quite honestly, I haven’t quite known what to do yet. My daughter loves to take pictures! I can have some instructional time, most likely let her check out a book at the library on photography, and then let her take pictures of birds and flowers and use them for nature study. And winter around here seems to last a long time! 🙂 That is such a great idea Sheraz! Thanks for sharing that idea with us!
Our kids are doing projects through 4-H. Our local extention office gives free classes in all sorts of activities-shooting, crochet, sewing, cooking, on and on. So they take a few of them, and do some of the project books through the year, and do showing at the fair. 4-H also does speech and demonstration classes so my kids are getting experience with talking in front of crowds.
This year my 6 yr old son learned how to sew bibs for his little brother on the machine. He painted on mini canvases, made popsicle stick houses, dipped candles, took photos, made video camera movies, and did lace up cards. Am going to try latch rug hooking? Rug latch hooking? Hootch lug rooking…you know. Chocolate making out of moulds, wood burning kit, and fimo clay animal making.
Our fave handicraft so far is sewing and we sit down together. My 4 yr old sews on her sewing cards while her sisters sew. They are more motivated to stick with it when we sit together. Sometimes they do sewing on their own because they really want to get to the end product (purse, stuffed animal etc). I never plan to do handicrafts on certain days. As we start a project we aim to work on it each night (sometimes mornings) till we complete it then take a break before starting the next project.
His uncle (who did a few animation films as a teenager/early 20’s) was very impressed with my son’s first couple of films… said he must have a lot of patience for a 7yo.