Summer Crafts for Kids

It's the last day of school today and I'm staring a long summer vacation straight in the eyes. How's a mom to survive with her sanity in tact?

If your children are like mine they come to you with the eternal "Mom, I'm bored, what is there to do?" question dripping from their popsicle-laquered lips. My solution was to put together a craft notebook for them where they can go to the library shelf, pull down the binder and browse through numerous crafts and activities until they find something that interests them.

Better Homes and Gardens, FamilyFun, Martha Stewart and other publications I've subscribed to over the years have had fun activities for kids that I've ripped out, saving only the best ideas in each issue. I've also checked out books on children's activities at the library and photocopied the best ideas from them as well. Rather than let all the loose sheets collect dust in a drawer I slipped them into plastic sheet protectors and collected them in a large three-ring binder with dividers labeled by subject: Holidays, Games, Puzzles, Crafts, Puppets, Science, etc.

With so many colorfully illustrated ideas in one place it's hard for a child not to find at least one activity that appeals to them.

For the duration of the summer break each of my Works for Me Wednesdays posts will spotlight a different activity from my book--and there are some great ones let me warn you--to keep your children happy and your sanity alive and well.

Technorati tags: WFMW, crafts, children, summer vacation