In today's Monday Motivation, I'm sharing my summer memories of creating from my grandmother's scrap box and how I carried that practice into my own home when my children were growing up. Whether to fill time on a rainy afternoon, keep little hands busy during travel or in waiting rooms, a Busy Box for your kids or grandkids will certainly spark creativity. Just remember, it's not really about the end result, it's the process and the memory you are making of being creative together.
I'm also answering a listener question from The AoH Mail Bag about creating family and personal mission plans.
SHOW NOTES
EPISODE CHAPTERS
Welcome & Mail Bag: Creating a Family or Personal Mission Plan
Monday Motivation: Memories of Grandmother's Craft Box
Create Your Own Box: Why and What
Portable Box: Occupy Hands and Minds on the Go
Join our Private Facebook Group-Homemaker Forum
Mail Bag Resources:
Busy Box Resources:
What to Put in a Busy Box
pipe Cleaners
buttons
stencils
stamps
scraps of fabric, felt, ribbon, ric-rac and other trims
glitter (if you are brave 😉)
glue sticks
left-over craft supplies
fun foam
google eyes
old magazines for decoupage (not too many, as those can accumulate quickly)
scissors
Busy Box Creativity Help
If you or your child are struggling to get creative with the supplies of your box, here's some inspiration that might be helpful. I recommend checking your local library for these or other kids' craft books.
The Big Book of Nature Art, Yuval Zoomer
Mess-Free Travel Boxes
Choose some simple activity books that don't require cutting, folding or gluing. Origami is a great option, so are string games and card tricks. Below are some sample books you might want to purchase. You could also look up free tutorials online to print out and create you own little guide to simple origami, string or card tricks.
Once you have your guide books or instructions, gather materials, such as origami paper, string, and cards and combine each book with the necessary supplies into its own XL slider top ziplock. You can do a regular ziplock, but I have found that slider tops are easier for kids to open and close.
origami paper or printer paper cut to appropriate size
extra string incase one gets hopelessly tangled
Card Tricks for Kids, Charlotte Gibbs
1 or 2 decks of cards
Colored pencils with a manual sharpener
extra erasers
Art of Home Principles:
Creativity, regardless of the end product, is a great way to build motor skills, problem-solving & critical thinking skills, as well as imagination and confidence.
Crafting together provides lots of opportunities to practice patience, encouragement, kindness and many other qualities we want to characterize the atmosphere of our home.
By utilizing scraps and items that would otherwise be discarded, you are practicing and modeling good stewardship of your family resources.
Even if you are out of the little kid stage, you may consider having a small Busy Box stocked for whenever kids are in your home; whether grandkids, nieces or nephews, or children of families you are hosting for dinner or overnight. This simple gesture is a great way to show hospitality to children, letting them know that you thought specifically about how to make them feel welcome in your home.
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