Kids love projects with their hand and foot prints. It really gives them ownership to their artwork. Check out this simple and creative craft:

What you need:

• Child
• 3 different colors sheets of construction paper
• 1 green sheet construction paper
• Crayons or markers
• Glue or tape
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Tell your child they are making flowers out of their hands and feet and are going to put them in a vase.
2. Trace child’s right & left hand on 1 sheet of colored construction paper. You can trace a little up the arm to make the handprint a little bigger.
3. Trace child’s right & left foot on 1 sheet of colored construction paper.
4. Depending on child’s age and cutting ability you or the child cut out the hand and foot prints.
5. Cut 4 green stems from construction paper. We folded our stems like an accordion. (See Photo)
6. Cut out a shape of a vase from last sheet of construction paper.
7. Have child color with crayons or markers on the vase, feet, and hands (even the stems if they like). I told my 4 year old son to put finger and toe nails on his hand and foot prints which he found quite amusing.
8. Attach the stems to the vase with glue or tape. Attach the flowers(hands and feet) to the stems and hang up your child’s masterpiece!

Visit us at FunWellDone.com for more projects with all the supplies included. Great for cold stuck indoor winter days.

Let’s face it, coming up with craft projects can be a hassle. Watch this episode of Clever Parents TV for pre-packaged craft kits for kids ages 18 months to 11, tips for hosting a puppy party and learning to live with things that bite (and no, we’re not talking about that pesky two year old next door).

See the vidcast.

• Read the Fun Well Done column on Clever Parents for fun and easy craft ideas
• Visit the Fun Well Done website at www.FunWellDone.com
• Visit the Living With Kids and Dogs column on Clever Parents
• Read the Living With Kids and Dogs article: Living with Kids and Dogs: A Puppy Party for Kid-Friendly Dogs
• Visit the Pediatrician’s Perspective column on Clever Parents
• Read the Pediatrician’s Perspective article: Pediatrician’s Perspective: Learning to Live with Things that Bite – Part 1
• See vidcast #30 on Clever Parents TV.

The Newspaper Tree
This one is really easy. All you need is newspaper and a paper towel roll.

For younger children: Roll up the newspaper and insert it into paper towel tube. Have children tear the newspaper to make leaves. (In the photo the tree with ripped leaves is on the left.)

For children who can use scissors: Roll up the newspaper and insert it into the paper towel tube. Have children cut the newspaper to make leaves. You can fold the leaves like an accordion for a cool effect (pictured right).

Shaving Cream Table
One of my favorite summer time activities is a shaving cream table. It’s fun and easy to clean.

Spray shaving cream (not the gel kind) over a low table or on the ground. Let the children have at it with trucks, cars, spatulas, craft sticks or with their hands. You’ll provide hours of fun and take only minutes to clean. Add food coloring to the shaving cream to jazz things up.

Visit FunWellDone.com for great projects with all the fixins included.

Looking for a fun and fun and easy craft for young children? You’ll love these hand print flowers (and so will they!).

What you will need:

• At least 2 different colors of construction paper
• Green construction paper
• Popsicle sticks
• Glue
• Crayons
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Have child draw with crayons on both sides of construction paper.
2. Depending on your child’s scissor skill level have child cut out leaves or you can cut out leaves from green construction paper.
3. Trace child’s hand on construction paper.
4. Cut out hand print. Use this hand print as a template to cut out other hand prints.
5. Have or help child glue hands to popsicle sticks. Tell younger children that the popsicle stick is the stem and ask them to stick on the flower (hand print). Repeat this process with the leaves. You can leave the hand print open or wrap it around the popsicle stick.

Note: These flowers look fantastic taped in the window.

ALWAYS REMEMBER CREATING ART IS MORE IMPORTANT TO A CHILD THAN THE FINAL PROJECT

Check out our Craft-Of-The-Month-Club so you always have a cool project with all the supplies included on hand at FunWellDone.com

We’re convinced that half the reason we send kids to pre-school is the craft projects. It is far easier to send our little ones off than it is to have a decent supply of glue, glue sticks, construction paper, glitter, popsicle sticks, scissors, feathers, pom poms and whatever else. And who has the space to store it all? And clean up? Forget it, especially if you aren’t born with the ‘craft’ gene. And studies indicate that 40% of moms and 98.7% of dads are craft gene deficient.

Fortunately, there is a solution to all your craft problems courtesy of Fun Well Done run by the very clever, more on that, Jennifer Giattino.

Jennifer spent 10 years in the financial world before deciding to stay home with her kids. To help support her family, she hit upon the idea of creating self contained craft kits that contained everything needed to create a single craft project.

Today Fun Well Done provides kits for children 1 1/2 to 4 and 4 to 11. For the younger crowd, kits come in a very stylish box filled with all the supplies needed and easy to follow instructions (huge for Mom and Dad). For bigger kids, the kits include fun facts along with the project materials. All the kits come very nicely packaged in boutique-style gift boxes with all the trimmings. Kits can be purchased individually, in bulk for parties, or, as part of Craft of the Month Club packages which includes 2 crafts sent each month for 3, 6, or 12 months. Crafts can be purchased individually by season, age appropriateness, or by holiday.

Pretty clever, huh? We thought so and are happy to announce that Jennifer is joining Clever Parents as a contributor. Her monthly column is called Fun Well Done and will focus on craft projects you can do with your children.