Lone Star Pa:
The Column On Texas Fathering
Arts & Crafts With Your Kids
by Tom Thomas
Some dads (you know who you are) think that “making things with your kids”
means having them sit and watch while the parent does all the work… and it
is “all work” if you’re the only onedoing it. By involving your kids in
every step of the process, though, you can encourage their
creativity, teach and re-enforce good safety habits, show your children that
you value their opinions and ideas, boost their self-esteem, and have fun!
It’s also veryrewarding to see your children take pride in their work. For
example, my daughter and I made plywood lawn
decorations. I involved her in every step.
Step 1 - supplies
We used plywood (1/2” thick), carpenter’s pencils, erasers, a jigsaw, and
some outdoor wood paint. My child helped me pick the colors at the store.
Step 2 - outlines
We drew a design on the sheet of plywood for the upcoming holiday. My child
picked the design, and I penciled the outline. Then my child penciled
details like eyes or buttons.
Step 3 - cutting
When we both agreed on the penciled design, it was time to cut. How much
involvement children have in this step depends on their age and manual
dexterity. My six-year-oldhelps me change the blade with the saw unplugged
(this is an example of how working on projects with your kids is a good way
to teach and practice good safety habits). My daughter knows that you don’t
change parts on an electrical appliance unless it’s unplugged, not just
because I told her so, but because she and I practice this safety rule
whenever we work together…children tend to
learn better by doing. Of course, my daughter’s too young to operate the
saw yet, but thereare still ways to get her involved in the cutting; she
wears safety goggles (which make her feel more like a participant than a
spectator) and holds her ears because the saw is so loud. If you and your
child do a lot of very loud projects, you should get some
earplugs. After each cut, I asked my child questions like “Is the hat
pointy enough?” or “Do you think the curve is too flat?” This gave her
some control over this step, even though I was physicallydoing the cutting.
Step 4 – painting
I got a variety of brush sizes to see which one my child felt most
comfortable painting with. My daughter assisted with putting old newspapers
on the garage floor, shaking the paint cans and mixing the paint. We used
one color at a time, starting with the lightest. For example, if
you’re painting a U.S. flag – it helps to do the white first, then let it
dry (a hair dryer helps) then next red, and the blue last. The reason for
this is that dark colors tend to “bleed through” lighter colors; we could
cover up any light-colored mistakes with the darks.
Step 5 – cleanup
Last, but not least, I let/made my daughter help me rinse brushes, pick up
newspapers, sweep sawdust, etc. This gave her a sense of completion and
taught her some responsibility. By involving my daughter in the setup and
cleanup process, as well as the actual project, I think that I better
prepare her to organize her own projects someday (children are the future
leaders of our country).
There are other projects that you and your kids can do together, using the
same principles. Even if the wood rots, the memories will last a lifetime.
