7 Days of Kids Crafting: It’s All in the Book

If they’re already whining “I’m bored” with summer vacation, we have quick fixes to keep them out of your hair: crafting family-style. So keep checking back all week for 7 Days of Crafting with Kids.

For more than 30 years, non-Martha moms have been setting their kids loose with sets filled with everything they need to make cool contraptions. Klutz, owned by Scholastic, has become the go-to for how-to.

The company puts out instruction books with all the fixings – so you don’t have to scrounge around the arts and crafts store to find the little doo-dads they need to get things under way.

My favorite new sets on their list?

Fuzzimal Puppies is geared for the eight-to-fourteen set, but even younger kids will be yipping for joy if Mom and Dad throw together a yarn-covered canine. Packed with the pipe cleaners, fuzz and even some punch-out doggy carriers, this set is a good “get ready for a pet” set if there ever was one. Get it from the Scholastic store for $16.95.

Clothespin Cars will drive summer into high gear for the four and older set, with three giant wooden pins waiting to be stocked for racing. From the Chicken Socks line at Klutz, they’ll need a little help from Mom or Dad. But the punch-out designs and load of stickers make this a drive-away hit with little kids who want to say “I did it myself.” Get it from the Scholastic Store for $12.95.

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