Handicrafts

Book Review: Busy Bags Kids Will Love by Sara McClure

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. How else will I afford my used book addiction? You can read my full disclosure statement here.

Me: I’m not a crafty mom.

Also me: OMG MY KID IS ABOUT TO TURN 3 AND IS DRIVING ME INSANE AND THEN THIS HAPPENED

When I say I’m not crafty, I mean exactly that. Only about six weeks ago did I finally introduce my toddler to playdough. I am mess- and craft-averse.

Yet somehow I ended up in Michaels this morning buying this bunch of supplies (supplemented by some things I already had) and making a bunch of busy bags.

I guess I’m sort of officially a working mother now, besides the writing that gets done haphazardly. I work a few hours out of the home each week part of the year, so nothing too much. But I still have to find ways to keep my toddler busy without involving Daniel Tiger any more than I need to. (I used to be pretty much screen-free but now low-screen for the toddler only, and only Daniel Tiger. Because of ADHD, I try to be more limited with screens than I might otherwise have been.) The kids have a babysitter about half of the time, and the other half they come with me. Enter…busy bags.

I had heard of busy bags before but like I said, I’m craft-averse. Then I got this job and also heard the Homeschool Solutions podcast episode with Sara McClure: What to Do with Toddlers While Homeschooling.

Somehow I ended up purchasing this book.

It was a good call.

I’ve made 8 bags so far and have supplies for many more, plus duplicates since so many of the packages have more supplies than I need. I’m still deciding what to do with the duplicate possibilities.

My precioooooous.

I put these 8 bags together, from opening packages to putting them in my purse in under 2 hours. While eating lunch and watching Atlanta (it’s a very good show if you have access to Hulu or FX!). And three involved PAINTING or glue!!

Sure, not every project resonated with me, but most felt do-able. She’s not ready for some of them, but I know they’ll be a good idea.

This afternoon, I taught the toddler how to “sew” with a shoelace. She also learned (tried to learn) to open a clothespin. I’m also ready to teach her how to scissors, which I’ve been avoiding for a long time. It doesn’t feel so intimidating anymore.

I highly recommend Busy Bags Kids Will Love!

What I Wish I’d Known: Book Binding

Horror of horrors. I bought a used copy of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards, and a section of pages immediately fell out! Because of course they did.

Broken copy of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards

Now what am I supposed to do?? Until now, I’d just stuffed the pages back into the book and stuck it back on the shelf. Except I’d just started reading this book! And now I have a toddler! There was no way this book would survive marginally intact.

I turned to social media for help, as you do.

I recently bought book tape to repair some spines (totally aspirational – haven’t gotten around to it yet), but that didn’t seem like the right tool to repair something inside the book. And apparently that was right. A librarian recommended a special kind of glue. My reaction: ugh something else I have to buy and don’t know how to use. But sure. I’d do it. It’s a good skill for a book hoarder to know.

But then someone came along with a radical idea: take it to an office supply store and put it on a spiral binding. I admit I scoffed a little at first. That would ruin the book!!1! But she had a great point that with a spiral binding, it could lay flat, and that sounded nice. After sitting on it for a week or so, I decided that was actually a brilliant idea.

I had already intended to print out my Exploring Nature with Children curriculum PDF and make it spiral bound, so why not hit two birds with one stone? And they came out great! Pretty cheap for a store too, $14 for both bindings and to cut the original binding off my book.

Maybe one day I’ll get my own spiral binding-thingy-majigger!

A Free Pesach Handicrafts Guide

Ms. Mason advocates that all handicrafts should be made for a purpose, for practical use. No glitter-for-the-sake-of-glitter around here:

“Points to be borne in mind in children’s handicrafts are: a) that they should not be employed in making futilities such as pea and stick work, paper-mats and the like; b) that they should be taught slowly and carefully what they should do; c) that slipshod work should not be allowed; d) and, that, therefore, the children’s work should be kept well within their compass.” (Vol. 1, p315-316)

In fact, you should (in general) lump together the concepts of “crafts” and life skills. And CM often had her students make handicrafts for the express purpose of being donated to the needy.

Children’s book publisher Kar-Ben has released a free digital mini-ebook: Passover Crafts for Little Hands, which has several presumably-useful crafts. It includes:

Seder Plate
Matzah Cover
Tie-Dye Afikomen Cloth
Matzah Tray
Haggadah Bookmark
Four Question Reminder

Or maybe you’d like to make your own if your kids are too young or “too old” for these projects! Know someone or a charity who would appreciate one of these as a gift?