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A 1 year old for sure can get something out of craft time but lets not bs here. ..they are not doing the craft, simply partaking in a sensory activity where they do what they are able to do which means feeling the materials in their hands whether that be collage materials, paint, popsicle sticks, pom poms etc. They do not have the fine motor skills, hand eye coordination and many other skills needed to follow instruction and carry out a craft activity independently. I always vow to my dcp's that they will never have a craft on their fridge by me! Every child I care for does this. In their high chairs on their tray they get the same materials as the older kids and there are no rules. If their ladybug looks like roadkill then so be it, if the whole lot gets slobbered on then so be it, it's an important EXPERIENCE, and it doesn't matter what the end result is at that age.
I am extremely crafty and creative and love to craft with my kids. I used to craft every single day but very quickly I came to my senses that children DO NOT NEED TO DO CRAFTS! Now with my years of experience and research I know that their are much more valuable ways to teach the children so I only do crafts at certain times of the year because obviously they can be fun and are a wonderful keepsake and achievement for the children. The children who do not have the physical ability to craft will be able to craft better when they are older if I start off with sensory and malible play when they are very small. The will develop muscle strength and control and the kids who lack the get up and go to craft will likely find confidence during the fascinating process of sensory and malible play.
How about we skip craft time and play in the mud for a change #TBT :)
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You are right bright sparks. Crafts are completely different than art. I didn't learn this until I took a bit of ECE schooling. I do not do crafts unless it is for a holiday. However, we do art almost daily :)
There's no reason we can't do art and play in the mud all in the same day :)
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I guess for me it is that there is no end product. By that I mean we play with pom poms, we make collages out of sticks and rocks and shells but then we dump the contents back into the dish and make a new collage - it doesn't get glued down and sent home. They have the same experience with the materials plus learn that the same materials can be used in a different way to make something totally different. I don't call it craft or art. I call it play.
