![]() Less of a themed set compared with Hey Clay, Model Magic is great for free-building a diorama or other 3D design, and it can also come in handy for school projects.Īges 8 and up Crazy Aaron’s Magnetic Thinking Putty 4" Tin ($15 at the time of publication)įor older kids who still love the sensation of squishing and squeezing putty, but who want something a bit more sophisticated, Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty comes in all sorts of colors and effects, such as glow-in-the-dark, color-changing, and cheese-pizza-scented. The set includes 14 half-ounce bags of clay in different colors, along with 10 project cards. The clay, which doesn’t crumble or leave behind a mess, hardens after about 24 hours, resulting in figurines that are sturdy enough to play with (though we’ve had pieces fall apart here and there). The results can be impressive, but we recommend using up the colored clay within a couple weeks after opening the individual jars-once the seal is broken, the clay can dry out.Īges 3 and up Crayola Model Magic Deluxe Variety Pack ($24 at the time of publication)Ĭrayola’s Model Magic clay lets kids sculpt to their heart’s content with ease. Choose from aliens, adorable animals, dinosaurs, and monsters. Sets include 18 0.7-ounce plastic containers of bright, flexible clay. Hey Clay takes sculpting a step further with an accompanying app that gives kids lively tutorials on how to construct fun figures that dry to a solid state after roughly 24 hours. Tactile funĪges 3 and up Hey Clay (starting at $17 at the time of publication) Most of the activities are more like traditional crafts, and our testers found them to be less original than those from Kiwi Crate or Koala Crate. We also like Green Kid Crafts (starting at $25 per month at the time of publication), our runner-up pick, which comes with up to eight projects per box and includes all the supplies you’ll need. ![]() Parents may need to pitch in, but we like how inventive and challenging these projects are. These aren’t traditional craft projects one, for instance, involves constructing an arcade claw. Kiwi Crate, our subscription craft-box pick for kids in early elementary school, delivers monthly projects that are not only hands-on and fun but that also incorporate elements of STEAM (PDF) (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics). Each month, expect to receive three activities that will delight children in this age group we found the activities to be more creative than those in other subscription boxes we tried.Īges 5 to 8 Kiwi Crate (starting at $17 per month at the time of publication) Koala Crate, our favorite for the preschool set, comes with all the supplies they’ll need-which is convenient, since bopping out for materials isn’t so easy anymore. A crafty subscriptionĪges 2 to 4 Koala Crate (starting at $17 per month at the time of publication)Īs shelter-in-place orders continue in many states, a subscription craft box can give kids something to look forward to from the outside world. Here are some of our favorite craft projects, art supplies, and creative toys to help keep kids busy-and hopefully buy you a little time. “You have to give them ways to express themselves both physically and emotionally.” Michael Yogman, a pediatrician based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the lead author of The Power of Play, a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Projects also offer kids a way to process things. “We’re so concerned about getting worksheets done,” she says, “but building a Lego model is as powerful as a worksheet-maybe more.” Play, after all, is how kids learn, says Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and the author of Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children. Simple arts-and-crafts projects, open-ended creative activities, and toys or projects that provide opportunities for imaginative play may fit the bill. (Though if screens are keeping the peace right now, don’t feel too bad about it.) Options that hold attention spans for more than a few minutes, require minimal parental oversight, and don’t involve a screen are in short supply. With everyone spending more time at home, parents have been forced to find creative ways to entertain, educate, and engage kids while simultaneously squeezing in everything else. Keeping children busy-preferably independently so-is a challenge these days. ![]() He painted one picture after the next, marveling at how he could mix two colors and-presto!-make a new one. A set of watercolors recently delighted my 4-year-old son.
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