Crafts vs. Art

*Note in advance: The pictures I chose don't necessarily match the text. They are just random examples of crafts that we have done in our home.

Crafts vs. Art

I recently read an article about this. Mind you, the article did not say that crafts were bad, but it seemed to imply (to me) that crafts were inferior to art. I just want to give a brief plug for crafts.

In our home crafts have been used for:

Learning concepts- Time to learn shapes? First we read a book about shapes (Tana Hoban is a favorite!). Then I tell my child(ren) that we are going to make something using shapes. I have a ziploc bag of precut construction paper shapes (depending on the age, I may trace and the child cuts) and a large piece of construction paper for the background ready to go. After pulling the pieces out of the bag one at a time ("can you find the blue rectangle?"), my child gets to organize the shapes into a truck. When he is done with that (we talk about the shapes while he does this), he will glue his truck pieces down. The same picture is used for reinforcement- I can talk to my child about the shapes on his picture. Many preK-2nd concepts can be taught/reinforced using crafts. We could just fill out a worksheet, but this is far more enjoyable.

Making a subject come to life- I often find projects to be busy work. Why spend tons of time on something when reading and discussing will do? However, to an 8 year old, a model of a covered wagon might be just the thing to keep his interest and enthusiasm going. Plus, when grandma visits, it will be a great visual while he tells her "all about it". Just like a one little snapshot can bring back an entire vacation's worth of memories, a small craft project can be a concrete reminder of a subject studied.

Just because they're pretty- We like to have little decorations around the house for seasons, holidays, and feast days. That may mean sitting around a table and making some assembly line decorations. It can involve more creativity, but it is often a "cut and glue" kit. These have their own value- a good result is almost guaranteed and a child gains a sense of pride when his handiwork decorates the house. There can be educational value as well. If we are making a St. Patrick's day mobile, we discuss where St. Patrick is from, what he did, and when he lived. While it might be considered an "closed end" project, the time spent together creating and the information shared make it worthwhile (in my opinion).

Motor Skills: The process of learning to cut, glue, and place items can be tedious for little ones. (As a side note-I have seen children as old as 10 who do not know how to manipulate a pair of scissors.) When I sit with my little ones (or sat with!), I show and tell- "hold the scissors straight in front of you and turn the paper". It takes lots and lots of practice for little ones to master this skill. Crafts are a great way to get this practice without the boredom scissor skill workbook pages (although I had one who loved those pages too!). Additionally, gluing is a skill. I like to have different types of adhesives for my child to use- double sticky tape, paste, white glue, tacky glue... It is good to try different methods of application as well. Q-tips (not in the ears!!), craft sticks, old paint brushes, and toothpicks can all be used to apply glue. An easy craft project to help a little one with "placing items" is a collage. He can glue pieces of paper, beads, foam cutouts, and other small items to a paper plate (I guess this could be art too!).

Gifts: Crafts make great gifts. My daughter has made journals, blankets, camera cases, picture wreaths and more as gifts for family and friends. My boys are following in her footsteps with various creations of their own. While open ended creativity has its purpose, a directed craft project that is useful often makes a nice (and thoughtful) gift.

Art and crafts are different, and there does seem to be some confusion concerning the two. One is not better than the other. They meet different needs. Crafts have a lot to offer: a sense of accomplishment, quality time with mom or dad creating, reinforcing a concept, enjoyment, learning, sharing, and more. Some families are just not "crafting families"- that is okay. Our family has always enjoyed crafts, so I have a soft spot for the "art form".