How many of you love to do crafts with your class? Me, me, me, me, me! I just loved the excitement it would bring to my students. They were so proud of their finished products and their reactions to seeing their masterpieces posted on a bulletin board were priceless! (Not to mention, it gives your classroom a cheery atmosphere, but we’ll talk about that later!)
Now some of you may think crafts are something just for Preschool or Kindergarten, but the benefits of doing them with your students goes way beyond those levels. If you look beyond the “cute” final project and think about what it took to make it, it’s really amazing the different skills that go on during the creation process.
CRAFTS IN PRESCHOOL
Doing crafts in a preschool classroom serves many purposes:
- Fine Motor Practice-older preschool students may be able to cut out their own pieces, younger students will not. Either way, both will get fine motor practice using glue and manipulating pieces to the appropriate places on the craft
- Following Directions – what should be glued first? What next?
- Review of basic concepts – colors, shapes, sizes, directional/positional words and sometimes letters or numbers depending on the project
- Patience- sharing glue (I would sometimes not give everyone their own glue on purpose, this way they would be forced to take turns as well as remember to say “please” and “thank you”)
- Creativity – one thing I always had my children do was add a mouth (if needed) by themselves. Just having them do this one part independently made each of their final products unique.
- CONFIDENCE- Three of my favorite words to hear from my students, “I did it!”
CRAFTS IN KINDERGARTEN
In Kindergarten, doing crafts has many of the same benefits as doing them in a Preschool Classroom, but on a different level. They will still be using scissors and glue, but more independently, and the basic concepts that may be reviewed will be different as well.
- Fine Motor Practice
- Following Directions
- Review of basic concepts – colors, shapes, sizes, directional/positional words and sometimes letters or numbers depending on the project
- Patience- sharing glue
- Creativity
- Independence- they will most likely be able to cut out many pieces on their own as well as working on a craft in an independent center.
- CONFIDENCE – need I say more? LOVE IT!
CRAFTS IN FIRST & SECOND GRADE
Doing crafts in first and second grade takes on a different level of independence as well as purpose. Since these are older children, their cutting skills should be much more advanced than preschoolers or kindergarteners. Cutting out their own pieces needed to do the craft should not be an issue, if it is, this will be great additional practice! For those that are on top of their cutting skills, you may want to give them templates of the pieces needed for the craft, and have them TRACE their own pieces before cutting them out. Not only is this more practice, but adds to their level of independence as well as their ability to follow directions.
THAT’S IT?
Crafts should be used as a supplement to an already taught lesson on a particular subject. For younger children, you may have read a book about butterflies or completed other activities on this subject. Doing a Butterfly Craft as an addition will not only reinforce your lesson, but can be displayed on a bulletin board for everyone to see, which they love! For older children, you may have your students do a writing assignment about butterflies after your lesson. The craft would be the perfect addition when displaying your student’s writing on a bulletin board OR using it as a cover for a book.
Doing crafts in your classroom brings out your student’s creativity. Even my youngest preschoolers would find a way to make a project “their own” by adding eyelashes, positioning their eyes different ways and even creating unique “mouths” with a crayon or colored pencil!
FINALLY
One of the biggest things we want our children to have is CONFIDENCE. Being able to create a “masterpiece”, no matter the age level, boosts not ONLY confidence, but pride in their work. So, whether you’re teaching students as young as preschool or as old as second grade, you can see the many benefits of using crafts as part of your lessons. I hope you have fun getting CRAFTY!!
I LOVE to do crafts with my kids also! I always love adding an opportunity for them to respond with writing too. I love the butterfly craft! 🙂
Author
Thank you Brittani!
Crafts are the biggest part of play-style learning for my toddler and preschooler! We all have so much fun and they don’t even realize they are learning!
Author
Absolutely Michelle! Thank you!
I love this! I teach 8th grade and I still love doing the occasional craft with my students. It always brings them such joy. I vote we do this across all ages! Love it!
Author
You’ve got my vote! Thanks Lisanne!
I love when we get to do a craft with the kiddos! They enjoy it, I enjoy it and if it really turns out great they get to enjoy it showcased in the Hall! Which they also love!
Author
Thanks Shelby! They (and we) sure do! : )
Patience is a great skill for students. Patience while waiting for supplies and for the times when they are struggling to manipulate craft supplies in a certain way, and it isn’t doing what they want!
Author
That’s right Meagan! So when we start them young, they are at an advantage! Thanks!
I even have my high students incorporate crafts into our projects. They love it! DV I
Author
YES! It’s great for those high students! Thanks Stephanie!
Such a great post! Thank you so much for sharing. Definitely something to think about as I’m working to have my students be more creative!
Author
Thank you so much Stephanie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I love crafting! So much of instruction is rigorous and standards-based, so it’s nice to break it up with a craft here and there! I think it’s so important for kids (and teachers!) to still have a love of school and get to have fun with activities like crafting 🙂
Author
Thank you Shannon!