Crafting with multiple ages

[torontokids]

How does everyone craft with so many ages? I find I try and do a craft with the older children and the younger ones want to of course do it as well. I find it difficult as they all seem to need a lot of 1:1 to prevent ingestion of the art work, help gluing and cutting. Any tips to make this go smoothly?

Also, I would love simple craft ideas that have worked for you.

[daycaremom9]

How does everyone craft with so many ages? I find I try and do a craft with the older children and the younger ones want to of course do it as well. I find it difficult as they all seem to need a lot of 1:1 to prevent ingestion of the art work, help gluing and cutting. Any tips to make this go smoothly?

Also, I would love simple craft ideas that have worked for you.

When I have a 4 or 5 year old they generally don't have a nap so I do a craft with them during nap time. The younger kids do their craft in the morning.

[torontokids]

I have all nappers and my oldest is 3.5. Even when they don't nap they lay on their cots.

[Momof4]

My group is 10 months, 18 months, 24 months, 2.75yo & 3.5yo so I feel your pain right now Torontokids. Boy, am I feeling the pain!

I do crafting one of two ways, by calling each child to the craft table one at a time while the others are playing in the toyroom which is in my line of sight is the first way. The other way I do it is to have all 5 at the table in their booster chairs and set them all up with colouring, then I go around the table one by one and help them make the major craft.

By the way, for the under 2's I use a little bit of tape on 2 sides of the paper to keep it in place and give them washable markers so they get more than they can get with crayons which take more power.

[playfelt]

Also do not feel you have to do a craft that goes home at the end of the day. If parents want their child to paint they can let them do it at the table while they are making supper, etc.

When I have mostly younger ones I tend to do more open ended stuff like playdough and less crafts that require me to have precut stuff which is a shame because I love crafts. But I also make games for them such as cutting hearts out of assorted colours of felt or foam and then they make a design on a board, remove and play again - ie no cutting or gluing for the kids.

Yes they love to show off to parents what they have made but are just as happy to show a scribbled page as something I helped them make. Parents need to get over the need to have my handicrafts on their fridge too - very slow process for sure.

Crafts during morning nap works well as it also cuts in half the number of kids you are crafting with. With the others I tend to spread the glue on the pieces as they don't have the strength for the glue stick and then let them put it on their page wherever they want. I move around the table doing a piece for each then back to do second piece etc. Art is simple such as colouring a tree and gluing on three apples I have cut out. I also do not do crafts daily - 1-2 a week. Anything involved is sometimes spread over two days such as making part of it and then adding to it the second day so the time spent each day is short or we do it in two sessions that day to maintain interest.

A lot of what I do is for the skill so I am more likely to give them strips of paper to cut with scissors into bits and then let them spread glue on a page and put the bits on it. It isn't about the art - it is about learning to cut with scissors and the art is just giving a purpose to the what they made while practicing the skill.

[torontokids]

Thanks for the tips. Believe me, I am not looking to do crafts everyday, in fact we rarely do them because I find them such a hassle. I love doing crafts though so maybe I try and switch things up a little. I like the idea of having them colour while I help them one at a time. I have either had them all crafting at once or they sit and do nothing until it is their turn. Neither option I found to be too effective.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I don't really do crafts unless it's a special occasion or a gift for the parents. I do art almost daily though. I bring out things like paint, markers, crayons, glue, pom poms, stickers etc and let them make what they want with the items I provided for that day. Some of my favourite things for the younger kids are...

-put a piece of paper in a pringles container and add marbles dipped in paint. Put the lid on and let them shake.
-put a piece of paper in a ziploc bag with a sponge and paint on it. They can squeeze the sponge through the bag and not get messy
-hang pieces of paper in your tub and let them squirt paint filled water guns to make a design
-finger painting
-colour wonder markers so they can't colour the walls when I'm not looking

Have fun!!

[Fun&care]

I don't do crafts with the under 15-17 months kiddos. Too young, they just want to mouth everything. What I have found for the rest of the gang is sticking with REALLY simple crafts...the simpler the better. Examples: cutting a bird shape out of construction paper and gluing feathers on. Cutting out a tree shape and gluing pine cones on. Cutting out a cupcake shape and gluing sequins on. Cutting out a bunny shape and gluing cotton on. You get the point! And we occasionally just do open ended painting. Coloring and play dough are a daily thing here. Crafts are once per week.

[torontokids]

My three under 2 year olds have gotten into the horrible habit of biting off the marker tips (don't eat it just break it off). They of course loose the markers and the colouring stops for them. I then try to reintroduce the colouring again in a couple weeks. I tend to stick to stickers more for them as this seems to go over well and their is less attempts at ingestion.

[Fun&care]

I don't do markers at all, they tend to put it in their mouths, or will constantly get marks on their faces and hands from them. Takes too much time to clean up. So it's just crayons here.