As someone who loves to knit, bake and create, I have always loved to incorporate arts and crafts into my sessions with my kids at work. There are so many benefits of crafting for kids of all ages including offering an opportunity for screen-free entertainment. When putting together this years list, I was very mindful about including gifts for children from toddlers through teens and tweens. I also tried to include more open-ended crafting kits in order to encourage creativity and imagination skills. With that said, it was important that even those kits came with booklets with suggested activities. Arts and crafts are a great way to develop fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, can work on increasing grasp strength, improve visual motor and visual perceptual skills and work on developing executive functioning skills such as problem solving, following directions, improve focus and attention and work on improving organizational skills. There was so much more I wanted to put on this gift guide and have so many other suggestions so if you don’t see what you are looking for and would like some ideas, email me at otmeghan@gmail.com and I will help you find the perfect gift for your kiddos!
1. 1..2..3…Draw With Me Activity-I am absolutely in love with these two activity packs that teach kids how to write letters and numbers while encouraging drawing skills for older preschoolers and school age children. The 1..2..3…Draw With Me comes with 21 double sided cards (numbers 1-20) that can be drawn on using the included dry erase marker. One side of the card is an illustration of the step-by-step drawing that your child will be learning to draw on the other side. Each card comes with a number to trace and then turn that number into a picture by following the 5 very clear steps. ABC Draw With Me is the alphabet version and it’s equally as great. I have been using these the last week with some of my kids who have ADHD boys and I had to force them to stop because their sessions were ending. These cards are great for working on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills, works on following directions, increase focus and attentional skills, encourages creativity and imagination all while learning how to write letters and numbers in a truly motivating way and increase confidence and self-esteem as they not only practice writing letters and numbers but also learn how to draw a variety of things.
2. Craft and Carry Supply Station-open ended crafting kits will always be a favorite of mine and this one from Kiwi Co is a winner. While you can use the materials the way you want to, that might be hard for kids who have difficulty with initiating tasks so the fact that this kit comes with a book with step-by-step directions for 10 unique crafts. With over 1000 craft-ready materials including pom poms, paper circles, wooden sticks, wooden bits and pieces and so much more that can be stored in a snap-together storage box, this can keep your creators of all ages for an endless amount of time. Whether your kids follow the crafts in the book or create their own stuff, this craft kit will work on so many occupational therapy skills. This kit will allow kids to work on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, work on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills, encourage creativity, imagination and problem solving skills, work on developing executive functioning skills such as improved focus, attention, planning and organizational skills and boost confidence and self-esteem.
3. Jewel Succulents Crystal Gem Creations-I love this succulent making kit and think it would be a perfect gift for older school-age/tween/teens who like to create. The kit comes with crystal gems that snap together to create 6 unique succulents. They are easy to make and the end result are succulents that sparkle like real crystal plants. Each of them can be put in their very own pots to make them easier to put on display. This activity is great for working on increasing grasp strength, improve fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills, works on improving executive functioning skills such as problem solving, focus, attention and organizational skills. It also provides kids an opportunity to have screen-free entertainment that can decrease stress.
4. DIY Floaty Pen Kit-do you remember those magical floaty pens when you were younger? I always felt so special using those pens when I was little and my own daughter loved them when she was younger. This DIY kit from Make It Real comes with all the supplies needed to make 3 floaty pens including glitter and charms to make them their own. This is a great crafting kit for preschoolers and school age children and could be a great motivating writing tool for those who are more resistant to the task. In addition to being perfect for writing, creating the pens is great for working on developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, sequencing and organizational skills.
5. Fashion Plates-I love a good classic toy and Fashion Plates are just that. I remember playing with these for hours when I was younger and now love taking these out at work with my fashion obsessed kiddos. For those of you who might not know, Fashion Plates are toy that allows kids to create their own fashion designs by mixing and matching interchangeable plastic plates with different clothing items and accessories. Kids put their chosen plates into the plastic tablet, place a sheet of paper over the plates and then rub a crayon over the paper to transfer the embossed design on it. Once that is done, kids can color the fashion designs in with their chosen coloring instrument. This is a great activity for preschoolers and school aged children that works on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves visual motor and visual perceptual skills, encourages creativity and imagination skills and works on executive functioning skills such as focus, attention, planning and organizational skills
6. Sculpt Kid’s Mosaic Kit-this kit allows hands-on crafting for school-aged kids that allows them to create a variety of mosaic art. There are two kits to choose from, the classic and the ultimate. The classic kit comes with the materials needed to make a mosaic mirror and a tangram tile game while the ultimate kit comes with all the materials needed to make a mosaic mirror, coaster and trinket pot and a tangram game. One of the things I like about this particular mosaic kit is that you can choose either of the kits for either 4-6 year olds or 7-9 year olds. Making mosaic art is a great way to develop fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving hand-eye coordination skills, develops visual motor and visual perceptual skills, encourages creativity and imagination skills, and works on improving executive functioning skills such as problem solving, organizational skills, focus and attention.
7. You’re a Star! 3-D Sticker Maker-I am obsessed with this 3-D sticker maker from Lakeshore Learning and I know so many kiddos who would love this for their own! Stickers are a huge motivator for my kids at work and they are used not only as rewards but to encourage kids to learn how to write letters, practice cutting and so much more. I can think of a lot of kids whose minds would be blown if they could make their own stickers and this sticker maker is just the right one for preschoolers and school-aged kids. The kit comes with all of the supplies needed to make 30 different 3-D stickers including the actual sticker maker machine (which is adorable), gems and beads and once your little one is done you can order the refill pack and make more stickers! This craft kit is great for working on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving executive functioning skills such as following directions, planning and organizational skills and encourages creativity which leads to increased confidence and self-esteem.
8. Guidecraft LED Lightboard-we bought this for our daughter ages ago and at 15 she still uses it. It’s what I call an investment piece but if you have a kid who loves art and creating and sensory play, you will not regret this purchase. This is something that can be used in a variety of ways for children of all ages. Kids love building with MagnaTiles on it, can use it for tracing pictures or shapes and letters and can be used for lots of different sensory experiences. The Guidecraft light table is a slim, durable LED light pad with a hardwood frame designed with encouraging sensory play and exploration, encourage creativity and imagination skills and allow for open-ended play opportunities. Using a lightboard is also a great way to work on improving drawing and graphomotor skills, improves fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills and can work on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills.
9. Make Your Own Light Up Snow Globes-I don’t know a kid who doesn’t love snow globes and what makes them even more satisfying….making your own! This set comes with all of the materials needed to make three light up globes including different colored glitter, moldable clay, tools to help with making 3-D creations to put in the snow globes and glue dots to put those creations on the base of the snow globe. This is a great arts-and-crafts kid for school-age and older children and works on a variety of occupational therapy skills. Making the snow globes works on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye and bilateral coordination skills, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills and works on improving executive functioning skills such as problem solving, following directions, organizational, focus and attentional skills. It also encourages creativity and imagination skills.
10.Pom Pom Craft Kit-this super cute craft pom pom craft kit would be perfect for preschoolers and younger school age children. This kit comes with 16 animal cards and over a thousand different colored pom poms and pom pom tool to help with picking them up. This is a mess free activity where kids can decorate the animal pictures with the pom poms by matching the colors on the design. Not only is this a fun activity for little ones, it works on so many occupational therapy skills such as developing fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills, works on learning colors and matching skills, and improves focus, attention and organizational skills. Once the kids have finished, they have a fun piece of art that can be hung up that will boost their confidence and self-esteem.
11. Rainbow Cord Picture and Pattern Maker-this is a great gift for preschoolers and younger school age kids. This mess-free, reusable art toy allows kids to make pictures using different colored cords. They can either follow the patterns included with the toy or make their own designs and pictures. This would also be a great way to have young kids practice how to make shapes, numbers and letters. This set comes with 6 double-sided picture cards, 39 different colored cords and all can be stored right in the case which makes this great for on-the-go entertainment. Using this toy works on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills and works on increasing attention and focus.
12. Over The Rainbow Craft Kit-this was one of my daughter’s favorite craft sets when she was little and I have gifted it over and over again to so many art loving kids. Created by Kid Made Modern, this invites crafters of all ages to create using a variety of materials including pom poms, fuzzy sticks, beads, googly eyes, glitter sheets and SO much more. There are so many benefits of open-ended art materials with the most important being that it encourages creativity and imagination skills, works on improving problem skills and encourages self-expression. Additionally, this rainbow themed craft kit works on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills and can build confidence and self-esteem as they use the materials to create masterpieces.
13. Klutz Super Mini Market-this craft kit allows kids to build a miniature supermarket by punching out, folding and taping more than 100 unique, tiny grocery packages with all kinds of fun branding on the packages. Once all of the packages are made, they can be put on the display on the store shelves. This craft kit targeted at school-age kids and works on a variety of occupational therapy skills.This is a great way to work on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, works on problem solving and following directions, improves visual motor and visual perceptual skills and is a good way to work on improving executive functioning skills such as focus, attention and organizational skills.
14. Sweet Spot Candy Shop-this sweet craft project is great for school age children 8 years old and older but can be done with younger children who have great fine motor skills. Kids get to build their own miniature candy shop scene using all the materials provided. First they put together the candy shop by fitting the colorful foam panels together. Once that is done, using the provided clay and accessories, they can create all the sweet treats and candy. This is a fun activity that works on improving fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills, encourages spatial reasoning and problem solving skills, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills and encourages creativity and imagination.
15. Water Doodle Mat-I had one of these water drawing mats ages ago and it was always a big hit with my kids. This giant water mat is great for toddlers and preschool aged kids and can be used independently but is large enough for a few children to draw and create together. The package comes with the mat, 6 refillable water pens, drawing templates, stencils and other accessories. There are two themes to choose from: Ocean and Unicorn. Each mat has two sides: one is blank for open-ended drawing and the other has pictures to color in and letters of the alphabet to trace. This mess-free drawing activity is a great way to engage little ones in creative play while working on developing early writing and drawing skills. It also works on improving grasping and manipulation skills, improves hand-eye coordination, works on improving visual motor and visual perceptual skills.
