Book Review: 101 Great Gifts from Kids
Fun and Easy Homemade Gift Craft Projects for Children
Jun 2, 2008
Children love to create. Paintings, drawings and craft projects can provide hours of entertainment and fun. They can also be used for beautiful handmade gifts to delight grandparents, parents, extended family, teachers and friends.
101 Great Gifts from Kids [Gryphon House Inc, 2002] by Stephanie R. Mueller and Ann E. Wheeler offers a range of fun and practical craft projects for children aged three to eight.
Step by Step Craft Projects for Children
Each craft project is clearly described and detailed step-by-step instructions are provided. Project instructions include a list of materials required, easy to follow project guidelines, helpful hints, seasonal suggestions, and tips on preparation and variations where applicable. Steps that may require adult supervision are clearly marked.
Project ideas include:
- photo frames
- family activity calendars
- door hangers
- gift wrapping
- magnets
- watering cans
- handmade cards
- cookie mix jars
Materials for the projects are easily accessible for parents with items such as paper and cardboard, plastic bottles, bubble packing wrap, wool and felt scraps, button and cardboard tubes common. Material for decoration include coloured markers, paints, cellophane, seashells and stick-on bows.
Types of Craft Activity
The craft projects in 101 Great Gifts from Kids are divided into eight chapters covering everything from cards and homemade wrapping paper to calendars and games. These chapters include:
- Fun with Photos
- A Garden of Gifts
- Come Play with Me
- Office Originals
- Household Helps
- Decorations to Display
- Say it with a Card
- Wrap it Up!
Additional Craft Resources
A comprehensive index is provided with not only individual craft projects but lists of craft activities for each major craft material used. There is also a checklist of suggested materials to collect for future craft activities. Three pages of common and uncommon holidays and celebrations provide month by month details of significant and whimsical dates in the American festive calendar.
Craft Projects for All Occasions
Seasonal suggestions with each project provide options for tailoring the activity for Christmas, Easter, winter, spring and other annual celebrations or events. The gifts are generally adaptable to any significant gift opportunity and allow children to provide a unique and personal gift for teachers, grandparents, family and friends no matter what the occasion.
Encourage Children to Experience the Joy of Giving
Stephanie Mueller and Ann Wheeler have gathered together a collection of craft projects to inspire young children to enjoy creating and designing gifts to give to others. Their aim is to provide opportunities for children have fun and also to help them experience the joy of giving a gift that they have personally created and decorated.
Distributed in Australia by Pademelon Press, 101 Great Gifts from Kids is published by Gryphon House, Inc.
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