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Kyra
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| Posted: Aug 18 2012 at 9:12am | IP Logged
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I have one 4 1/2 year old and one 2 1/2 year old, both very active, in twitchy little boy fashion, and both (particularly the older one) with a mania for making things . Just not things with careful rules and a delicate, preset outcome. They spend most of their time playing with Duplo and magnet sets and we've just got a set of TinkerToys, which are a big hit.
Other Moms with boys, what have been your most successful craft attempts with little boys? Low-mess, not-useable-as-a-a-weapon preferred. 
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Aug 18 2012 at 11:01am | IP Logged
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finger painting.. on big sheets of paper.. take them outside and have them make wrapping paper on rolls of newsprint/butcher paper. Yep it'll be messing but it'll be big and open ended. painting on large paper with big brushes is good too. You could even "paint" fences or outside walls with plain water and a paintbrush.
playdough.. even if they don't make a whole lot the squeezing and pounding and rolling etc will be wonderful tactile activity.
Making paper chains with a stapler. Could be a weapon but one stapler that mom holds onto but boys get to pound would be fun.
things with a purpose they like will get more focus and concentration. Everyone at my house wants to have an Adventn paperchain to take off one link each day and count down the days of Advent for instance. So the focus of the littler ones is higher for doing the activity.
And mostly, you have LOTS of time, they're still very little and it won't be long before they will be much better able to sit and do crafts (at least the 4 yr old) than they can do now.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Kyra
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| Posted: Aug 18 2012 at 12:28pm | IP Logged
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Yup. We have twin six-month-old girls, so my energy level/amount of concentration is pretty low and varies. We do playdough a fair amount. Purpose is good. Older boy wants computer time!
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Aug 18 2012 at 6:48pm | IP Logged
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There are a few blogs I visit for great ideas for creative activities with little ones:
Filth Wizardry
and Pepper paints among others.
Crafty Crow is also a great source for purposeful craft inspiration.
Crafty Crow although I tend to like more open-ended, exploratory-type crafts for that age, rather than outcome-based crafts.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Angel
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| Posted: Aug 22 2012 at 4:32pm | IP Logged
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Ok, 4.5 and 2.5 yo boys with infant twins? Gotcha. 
Stuff that has been workable in my house, to keep boys busy and to do mostly independently without making a giant mess:
*Keeping a bunch of boxes, cardboard stuff hanging around, along with rolls of Scotch and masking tape. Safety scissors must be doled out by mom around 2 year olds, especially if anyone has ever tried to use them as a weapon. Accessories added mainly with tape, not painted, etc. You go through a lot of tape this way, but you don't have to clean glue or paint out of anybody's hair. (I also keep florist's wire around for robots.)
*When you can supervise... my boys have always liked collage, with various kinds of materials (buttons, pasta, cut out shapes, etc.) I don't give them glue bottles. I use ModPodge poured out in small amounts into bowls and give them a paint brush to apply the glue on trays or construction paper, whatever.
If you don't have big things to glue, just paper, then glue sticks work and aren't very messy. Usually.  
*Pressing stuff (like shells) into plastilina or playdough. The boys all like plastilina because it's so pliable and it never dries up. Clay tools and various rollers work well with this stuff, too.
*Stickers and stamps. Sometimes you have to watch the ink pads. But my boys have all liked to make sticker and stamp stories. The pictures sometimes don't end up looking like much of anything, but the materials were mostly vehicles they used to tell their stories.
*Glitter glue pictures. All my kids have loved glitter glue, probably because it's confined glitter.
*Paper bag puppets.
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Kyra
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| Posted: Aug 31 2012 at 6:11am | IP Logged
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Oooh, is glitter glue actually confined? Because I could handle that.
We've got a big cardboard castle in the living room (taking up most of the floor) and someone just gave us washable markers. I was going to turn the boys loose on it, decorating it. If they could glue and tape things to it it would add to the fun.
We're going to do tissue paper painting sometime, when the girls are happy or asleep.
I have been sort of collecting cardboard. I might start cutting out mask forms or making toy boats or something. The boys need a little direction, and they still tend towards destruction without being evil. ;)
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3ringcircus
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| Posted: Aug 31 2012 at 7:58am | IP Logged
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We had a lot of boxes from Christmas present deliveries (thank you, Amazon ). One day I had my 4yo help me tape them closed and decorate them w/ stickers. After that, they were building blocks for the 3 boys a month or so. They got blankets from their rooms to add roofs and walls as needed.
I like to use inexpensive paper plates for glitter glue. It's sturdier than plain paper, and seems to contain better. Also, I only get it when I can find a really good price. They have been known to squirt out nearly 1/2 the tube in one big puddle  .
At their ages, IDK if it's too important that their crafts have and end-goal, KWIM? My guys are too busy following their imaginations to care if the craft they are working on is finished.
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Christine
Mom to my circus of boys: G-1/06, D-1/04, S-4/10
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Claire F
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| Posted: Aug 31 2012 at 10:35am | IP Logged
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My boys are a little older now, but a big yes to cardboard boxes and tape! We go through a lot of tape, but they love it and it cleans up well.
Mine hoard toilet paper and paper towel rolls - you can make tons of stuff out of those. They often make dinosaurs - the body is a paper towel roll and the legs are toilet paper rolls.
Paper plates with a craft stick taped to the bottom can become a puppet or a mask - just color/decorate the plate and help them cut out eyes if needed.
If you're feeling adventurous one day, chocolate pudding finger painting is really fun. Like finger painting, but edible! But messy - good for outside.
This blog All for the Boys is all about craft ideas just for boys. I pinned it a while back, but haven't gone through it extensively, but there may be some ideas here too.
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Claire
Mom to DS 12/04, DS 5/07, DD 8/09
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Marcia
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| Posted: Sept 04 2012 at 11:36pm | IP Logged
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a large stump in the yard with large nails and hammers. We even brought it indoors during the winter.
Sanding wooden planks.
Carving balsa wood (started this around age 5.5)
leather craft weaving.
lap looms.
My oldest boy is now 8 and takes the 2 year old out the "wood shop" where they make things together. I love it! Safety goggles are required. Only little cuts have been the outcome on the 8 year old from sanding his hand or using a saw too close to a finger. great learning for them both. I love to see what they come up with!!
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Marcia
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Crafts for very active little boys?
