DLTK's Crafts for Kids
"Grow With Me Crafts" Concept

I receive a fair number of emails asking for projects for older children.  I am working on making specific projects to fit that need (so many to do's, so little time *laugh*), but right now I wanted to share with you what's happening with my own children, myself and our crafting as we all grow up.  One of the most common things we do as a family to expand the age appropriateness of many of the crafts we do is to use different materials for the different family members.

STEP 1:  The paper crafts -- Ages 2 thru 5

The paper crafts form the base for the Grow With Me Craft Concept.  Skill building includes coloring, cutting (an adult cuts out small pieces at first -- overtime the child takes over completely), gluing and arranging.  Again, an adult can help point out where pieces go at first, but over time the child will take over this step and arrange the project on their own, using diagrams, pictures and premade examples to guide them.

STEP 2:  Fun Foam crafts -- Age 4 thru 10

The Fun Foam crafts are just the paper craft templates traced onto fun foam.  Skill building included transferring (tracing) a template, cutting a more difficult material than paper and simple marker use.  Adult assistance will initially be required  with tracing and marker or fabric paint use.  Transferring templates will be a useful skill in later years for all sorts of crafting projects including sewing, quilting, applique, etc.  Skill with drawing fine detail with a black marker may be used in later years in toll or folk art painting.

STEP 3:  Felt crafts -- Age 9 thru adult

The Felt crafts are again, just the same paper craft templates traced onto felt and sewn together (my favorite stitches for this are the blanket stitch for connecting the pieces and the backstitch for adding detail).  Skill building included transferring (tracing) a template, cutting material, and basic stitches (these skills are a good base for quilting projects later on)

Here's just one example of how we've used a single idea (the Harvest Angel) as a "Grow With Me" craft.