Model Crafting
Today, Evadne shares a terrific bargain craft (and gift) idea:
“I secretly used to mourn the fact that my son seemed to have no interest whatsoever in arts & crafts: coloring, stickers, painting - you name it, he wasn't into it. He much preferred playing with trains or racecars, or engaging in any other activity that was, well, active. But as my son nears his fourth birthday, I have noticed a change... he actually colors the pages that restaurants give to kids, takes time to arrange and glue a collage, and recently even became engrossed in Perler beads.
There is one craft though, of which my son never seems to tire: wood model kits. These particular kits were introduced to me by my best friend (who has a son of the same age) and only cost $1 at Michael's or A.C. Moore. The value is incredible considering that each kit comes with pre-cut sanded wood pieces, paint, glue, a paintbrush, and sandpaper. And impressively, the finished product often has working moving parts like wheels or propellers!
Per the instructions, we usually paint the wood pieces first, then glue the pieces together once they're dry (but you can do it vice versa, too). The kit is recommended for children ages 5+, but my son enjoys the painting part on his own and then waits to do the gluing part with either me or his dad. The most fun part, of course, is seeing the model come together in the end - whether it be a helicopter, sailboat, racecar, plane, bulldozer, or birdhouse. There must be about twenty different models you can build and - to my utter surprise and delight - my son is now on his second go-round of them! With his birthday and the holidays fast approaching, these model kits are definitely making their way into some loot bags and stockings.”
Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, these model kits aren’t available online, but Evadne kindly took the above photo of one of her kits so you know what to look for in-store.
