Book Offers Great Tips for Great Gifts
As a crafty mother of five girls I couldn’t wait to try the activities in the book 101 Great Gifts Kids Can Make by Stephanie R. Mueller and Ann E. Wheeler.
It claims to be “full of gift-making activities for children three to eight years old,” but even my 9 year old daughter and 10 year old niece and nephew couldn’t wait to open it up and choose something to make.
The activities are organized by theme; whether you want to have “Fun with Photos!” or make “Office Originals” or you’re just looking to “Say It with a Card,” it’s all there to make, wrap and label your gift.
Usually with books like these, the girls will go through them page by page asking “can we make this one right now?” or “how about this one?” or “do you have this?” and I often have to disappoint them because the activities require lots of adult assistance and/or specific materials that one wouldn’t necessarily have at home. I was relieved (as were my daughters) to find that this was not the case with this book. The material lists were simple and a large percentage of them required items we already had.
Coincidentally, my school aged kids had just received postcards from their new teachers welcoming them to the class and sharing a bit of information about themselves. They decided they would return the favor, so they got to making “Painted Postcards.” I got out the white cardstock, a black pen, a ruler, watercolors with paintbrushes and ribbon as the material list required and they got to work.
It was nice to know that I could leave them with the materials and let them get to it by themselves, without much more than the occasional checking up. They each made one for their teacher but that wasn‘t enough; they wanted to make more. They made some for their cousin who was going back home to Vegas, for their aunts and uncles in New York, for grandparents who live in the area and extras “just in case.“ The postcards turned out beautifully! Not one was like the other, which, in my opinion is what makes these kid-made gifts so unique and special. Children can be given the material while parents or caregivers stand back and watch their creativity bloom.
I was asked to become Daisy leader for my 6 year old’s Girl Scout troop this school year and I think this book will come in handy at home and with the troop. I am really excited to see what these girls come up with for the holiday season, teacher appreciation week, birthdays, or just rainy days…the occasions and opportunities are endless!
101 Great Gifts Kids Can Make
By Stephanie R. Mueller and Ann E. Wheeler
Publisher: Gryphon House
Price $19.95
www.gryphonhouse.com
| Easy to Read |
5 |
| Quality of Illustrations |
4 |
| Appealed to Both Boys and Girls | 4 |
| Kept My Children’s Interest | 4 |
| I Would Purchase This Product for My Family | yes |
| I Would Purchase This Product as a Gift | yes |
| Overall rating | 4 |
All ratings on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Meet The Reviewer!
Lucia Alami is a mother of five
daughters, the youngest of which
are a pair of one year-old twins.
She enjoys photography, reading,
writing, drawing, playing board
games and doing craft activities
with her girls.
