I love being able to provide different art projects for kids whenever I have the chance. Here’s a simple invitation to create for kids using just some plastic canvas and pipe cleaners. And the best part is the materials can be used over and over! (This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon.)
Recently Lucy had a playdate with one of her good friends. I thought it would be fun to leave out an invitation to create for them to explore if they became interested at some point during play.
I placed some fuzzy sticks I received free from Craftproductideas.com into an empty container and set them next to some stiff plastic canvas sheets I had purchased from my local craft store (similar to these). I couldn’t wait to see what they did with the materials!
Lucy’s friend took interest in the invitation first. She opted for the black sheet of plastic canvas and began creating. She is a very methodical and focused worker and creator~ I loved watching how she twisted the pipe cleaners together to make her designs!
She was very proud of her finished piece and couldn’t wait to bring it home to display!
Lucy had been near her friend watching her create. (Lucy tends to stand back in a new situation or when new materials are presented until she feels comfortable.) When her friend had finished creating, Lucy was interested in trying out the materials too, but asked that we join her. So Lucy, her friend, and I all sat together to create an orange piece. It was fun talking about the different patterns and shapes we could make as we wove and bent the pipe cleaners in and out of the canvas. The girls loved helping each other and giving kind suggestions. It was very cute!
The next day Lucy asked me if she could do the activity again. She helped me pull out all the pipe cleaners from the canvas, and she sat and did some creating on her own. I just love that this invitation provided her with the opportunity to practice using the materials over and over!
Besides this invitation being reusable, I love that this invitation could be adapted for any holiday or season by using specific colors. It’s also a great way to practice fine motor skills! I’m sure we’ll be doing this more in the future.
Does your child jump right in when new materials are presented, or does he or she prefer taking it slowly?