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Spark Their Creativity This Christmas: Kits for Kids

If you’re as tired of electronic games as I am, you’ll take a good look at gathering some quality materials to instill an appreciation of the arts in your little ones. Who knows, there may be a budding Monet, Mozart or Masefield in your midst. The suggestions below

You can create kits filled with things just lying around your home or purchased at local stores. Do remember that quality products will send the message that you’d like to have the children take the materials seriously and really begin to learn a new skill or hobby. So, get ready, it’s time to explore the arts!

Music:

You may want to put together a gift basket of children’s CD’s. Anything by Dan Zanes, Raffi, or Wee Sing are good choices. If you’re looking for a website that catalogues free music for children, go to Free Kid’s Music. You can download and create your own gift CD’s. Or perhaps you’d like to introduce your children to beginning use of musical instruments such as percussion or rhythm instruments or a recorder or xylophone. Go to Music for Little People to choose from a nice variety of musical instruments for beginners. Another good idea is to enroll your young children in group keyboard or violin lessons for a good start to musical appreciation and accomplishment.

Art:

Nothing is more inspiring to the budding artist than a selection of quality art materials all in pristine condition and just waiting to be used. Remember that quality products will last longer, produce better results and teach respect of the products when used properly. Here are two lists of ideas for an artist’s kit:

Drawing:  drawing pencils, kneaded erasers, sketchpad, watercolor pencils,
prismacolor doubleended markers, tortillians (for blending) and a ‘
quality drawing book such as Mona Brookes’ book Drawing with
Children, or Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad.

Painting:   Dixon Prang watercolors, 8 color set, Reeves 12 tube watercolor set
Brush bundle in plastic holder-18 brushes inside, a plastic paint palette,
a Strathmore Cold press watercolor paper pad, 9″X12″.

You can find quality art products at Dick Blick’s Art Supplies.

Dramatic Play:

Young children naturally love to pretend and play dress up. As they get older, children may need a nudge to enter into dramatic play such as puppet productions or fantasy action. However this kind of play is key to developing a sense of story and will support learning in both reading and writing as children grow. Here is a list of props and toys that you can gather to encourage healthy dramatic play.

Costumes, dress-up clothing, masks, puppets, props for creating kitchens, offices, post offices, construction sites, stores, doctor’s offices and other real-life places. Building toys to create communities, dollhouses, puppets and puppet theaters, toy animals and people.

Writing:

If you want children to write, just give them a big basket or container of writing supplies and watch them go! Many of these items may be in your home, or can be purchased inexpensively at dime stores. Be creative in your choices, providing lots of varied shapes, textures, sizes and colors.  

Pencils, pens, markers, crayons, paper of all sizes, some lined and some blank. Scissors, tape, staplers, alphabet stamps, journals, pre-made blank books, wallpaper, cardboard, tagboard, stationary, envelopes and stickers. If you can find an old typewriter, that is a great motivator for writing and finally a computer and printer are great tools for older children.

You may think of other artistic kits to put together with a certain child in mind. Go ahead and do it knowing that you’ll be planting the seeds of artistic growth in the intended recipient. Be assured that the children will get plenty of toys that beep and light up this Christmas but you’ll walk a different path, igniting a spark of creativity that will benefit them for a lifetime.

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