Hollow Tree Ventures parenting humor

Why Kids' Crafts Aren't What You Think

Everything you need to make delightful wooden butterfly magnets in a box? Jewelry kits, pre-cut felt finger puppets, THE FAB BADGE MAKER? That's right, kids' craft kits mock us from the We Know Your Children Are Bored and Need Enrichment aisle of almost every store you go into, and it's easy to believe they'll buy you a few hours of creative bonding for the bargain price of $12.99.

I've been lulled into that false sense of parental smugness by these kits on many occasions, each time fully convinced I had purchased a magical box brimming with brain-stimulating quiet activities.


Kids' Craft Kits: Expectations vs. Reality by Robyn Welling @RobynHTV

Here's a sampling of what you think is going to happen - and what actually does:

What you expect: They'll be entertained for hours!

What happens: You spend hours scraping glow-in-the-dark glitter glue off your kitchen table.

What you expect: The box will contain everything you need to make several items.

What happens: The kids use every single googly eye and Popsicle stick on the first project, then complain that everything they try to make with the remaining glue dots and four beads is hopelessly lame.

What you expect: The craft will be age-appropriate, based on the recommendation on the label.

What happens: Your child somehow finds a way to make fuzzy pompoms extremely dangerous.

If you've ever fallen victim to the lure of the Craft Kit - or if you've just been tempted to buy one and want to know what you're in for - check out Kids Craft Kits: Expectations vs. Reality on momdotme. And then please come over and help me pick up the 2,000 plastic pony beads that've found their way into every crevice of my home since my daughter dropped her Mega Bead Bucket kit and the lid came flying off. Because YES, THAT HAPPENED. Consider yourself warned.



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