Doing crafts might seem like a distinctly unmanly thing to do. Indeed, it may conjure visions of jumble sales and the blue hair brigade, or a troupe of Girl Guides darning socks around a Health and Safety-cleared electric campfire in a school gym. But don’t worry! Making things with your child can teach them skills, and help you bond with them.
When we say crafts we don’t mean cross-stitch or cupcake decorating (not that we don’t respect these practices). We mean things like cooking delicious meals, making custom clothes with methods that don’t involve a sewing machine, and getting creative with household goods!
FoodWhether you’re Jamie Oliver’s spiritual twin, or an absolute kitchen novice, cooking with kids can be fun, and result in tasty meals that your whole family will enjoy. You can learn together, if you’re not too confident with this whole chef thing: most kid-friendly recipes are pretty simple. We fans of these useful sites from Auntie:
BBC: Make the Most of Cooking with ChildrenBBC Good Food: Kids’ RecipesWe’re also rather fond of Nick Coffer’s video blog
My Daddy Cooks which is a great source of inspiration.
Remember not to let small children near anything sharp or hot, but do let them mix and add ingredients.
ClothingSo many childrens’ clothes are based around characters from films or TV shows. But that doesn’t mean your children have to conform to fashion – in fact, you can help them to make a statement with their own designer label! So how can you and your kids jazz up their wardrobe with custom designs? No sewing machine? Limited dosh? Try this: if you have a run-of-the-mill inkjet printer, you can scan in a picture by junior (if you have a scanner) or help them draw a picture in your computer’s paint program. Then print it onto iron transfer paper! (You can find this in lots of stationery shops, or bigger supermarkets). Then simply iron the design onto a plain t-shirt, and voila! You and your brood just started a design house! For more tips, visit
DIYKids.
Get CreativeThink finger painting. Think potato printing. Think home-made play-dough with custom colours and scents. Think of long rolls of parcel paper. Think
Blue Peter. Think
Smart.
Your skillsLast but not least, why not teach your kids your skills. Like fixing bikes, playing guitar, using computers, maintaining pets—whatever you’re good at. You could teach them the finer points of gear maintenance, how to (not) water a cactus, how to write computer code, if you’re that kind of guy. Many men find it hard sometimes to talk to their kids—but if you can teach them something that you’re good at, it’ll give your confidence and family bonds a boost! Just remember not to let them touch anything hot or sharp or corrosive.