Free Craft Fun for Children This Summer and All Year Long
Some national chain stores, and some small hometown stores, have a special night, once a week or once a month, where they invite kids from the area to participate in fun with crafting.
Sure, the stores mainly have the events to attract the parents to some of their products, but kids get to have fun and make new things, whether the parents shops or not. Actually, a small purchase is required, and not necessarily from their store, in that you have to buy the items the children will be crafting with that particular night. But, if the child goes often, the personal supplies will accumulate making it less expensive for future projects. The supplies list is generally quite small, normally requiring an investment of under $10, but usually in the neighborhood of $7. After each session, there’s usually a supplies list given to cover next week’s project.
Older kids can be left with the instructors for the time period, so if you need to run next door to the pharmacy or grocery store, that’s fine. Younger kids’ parents need to be in the store, even if they don’t stand over the child’s shoulder during the craft session. The projects are normally aimed at children between ages six and twelve.
One store that features these craft nights for kids is Michael’s. It’s a national chain so maybe there’s one near you. The giant craft store carries supplies for every art type known to man. Whether you sew, knit, paint, sculpt, make dolls, or do general crafts, they have the supplies you need. And, in addition to their craft nights with kids, they have one-page flyers all over the store, giving you step-by-step instructions for making other crafts.
For slightly older kids, particularly boys, Home Depot or Lowe’s Home Improvement stores feature a weekly children’s project class as well. Although some projects might be more towards home improvements than crafts, they also feature some projects like building a bench, learning to make a bird feeder, and other craft-like projects.
As with other events of this type, the crafter is usually responsible for all supplies, although the stores occasionally feature one of their items to try for free, such as a paint brush or screws. Again, if you know what supplies will be needed, and you have some of the supplies already at home, bring them with you and save a little on cost.
Stores that feature these types of events usually include craft supply places, some large department stores, home improvement stores, some flower shops or greenhouses, and some places that specialize in certain crafts, like building dollhouses or making train sets.
There are some places that have craft night for kids that you wouldn’t think of, like national restaurants. Golden Corral is one of these restaurants. They have a free craft project night for kids, and if accompanied by parents, kids eat free for the night. There is no charge for the craft supplies and not only that, but they have a clown that comes in on the same night to entertain really young kids.
Some local colleges have really inexpensive courses, that take place one night a week during summer months, where teens can be introduced to things like masonry, art, small construction projects or sewing. Call the local colleges and ask about these classes but be sure to find out age requirements, cost per course and similar info.
Check your local paper, visit websites and local store locations, or call around to find stores in your home town that offer these kinds of craft events. Your child will have one more exciting thing to do this summer, and it’ll be something where he or she can meet new people, share fun experiences with friends, and gain pride and confidence in their ability to create something beautiful.
