Fun DIY Crafts for Special Needs Children

Fun DIY Crafts for Special Needs Children

Learning life skills are essential for all special needs children to learn in order for them to be able to function well in society, beat the current statistics, and hold a job during adulthood. The term “life skill” encompasses a huge variety of skills that are necessary in order to function in day to day life. The category “life skills” is broad, ranging from getting dressed and brushing your teeth, to balancing a checkbook and doing laundry, therefore, there are endless possibilities for crafting as a means to learn these lessons. For example, fine motor skills are a basic necessity and are greatly improved through crafting.

Fine Motor Skills

Have children paint with black paint or use a large black marker to draw an outline on a big piece of white paper. Have them then draw more lines and shapes within their original outline. Then give the children scissors and a pile of colored paper. Allow them to cut many shapes from the paper in all sizes. Then have them glue the shapes inside their outline. Once they are finished, they will have created their own mosaic or stained glass window. The project involves a great deal of cutting which is good for their hand eye coordination as well as their fine motor skills.
Another quick project that is good for those fine motor skills and coordination is beadwork. If you go to your local craft or bead store and find a nice variety of medium sized beads, you can give the children each a piece of string or twine and a bowl full of beads and help them to string a bracelet or necklace together. Again, this helps with coordination and makes a nice gift for mom. Be careful though; you don’t want the beads to go from hands to mouth!

Hands-On Studying

Some children with special needs have the ability to retain information better when they are exposed to the information through hands on activities. A great way to get children involved and help them to have fun while studying geography is to create a topographical map. Begin with an outline of the region you are studying. Create borders with marker to distinguish the different regions. Discuss what those borders symbolize with the children and talk about what each region is and how they differ from one another. Now comes the fun part. Use salt dough to help the children create each region. Let them get in there and get dirty making mountains and valleys. After the dough has had time to dry, let the kids paint the regions. The finished product is one that everyone can be proud of and learn from.
The needs that these children have regarding learning the social behaviors and skills necessary to function and be able to take responsible care of themselves are many, and crafts are gravely important in helping implement these lessons. Whatever the activity may be, it probably will help them in some way. For example, just by creating their own art, children are learning confidence, what any person needs to learn, so that they will know they can do it.

A Picnic Tailgating Party

A Picnic Tailgating Party

Add some class to your next tailgating party with a picnic basket! While the boys are grilling, downing drinks, and talking sports, roll out a blanket and claim your own spot with a basket full of culinary delights which will definitely make them jealous. Even if you're not trying to show anyone up, the basket will be a great way to transport the side dishes that are necessary to accompany all of the protein being cooked onsite. Not to mention there's room for sunblock and ponchos- you can never be too prepared.

Set up Shop in a Truck Bed

Obviously a parking lot is not the most comfy place to spread a quilt and sit down for a picnic, so don't be shy about setting up shop in a truck bed where you can find yourself hanging out even after the meal. Since the great thing about a picnic basket is it can be cute and versatile, you can get away with propping up against it and catching a little shut eye before the game. Well you probably won't be sleeping at a tailgate, but no one is going to give you a hard time about bringing your basket. You definitely won’t be given a hard time when a picnic basket is loaded with home cooked and oven baked goodies that no one else thought to bring.

Decorate with Festive Decorations!

Feel free to get festive, that's what it's all about. Roll napkins in your teams color, throw in paper plates with the mascot, and add food coloring to your potato salad if you really want to get them going. People will be impressed with the level of spunk you can pack in your basket, so just let your imagination fly. This is an occasion where it's about getting full and having fun. Plus there's nothing better than a surprise from the basket. All the other food is out on the grill, so the desert in your basket will be a popular surprise towards the end of feasting.

Pack Your Own Wine Cooler

Since the boys are sure to have their coolers filled with beer, pack your own wine cooler filled with your favorite pinot grigio, chardonnay, or even a bottle of champagne! If you’re all recovering from a fun night before, be sure to pack some orange juice. Add a little champagne and you’ve got a mimosa- the perfect cure and pick-me-up!  Be sure to pack enough water bottles in your cooler to keep the boys hydrated while they’re watching the game. Since clean-up is as simple as tossing everything back into the picnic basket followed by placing into the back into the car, leave the portable grill and game to the boys and head out early for a girls day of shopping! 

Citations:

• Image via Martha Stewart

Paige One enjoys writing about fashion, outdoor summer activities, and more. Find Picnic Baskets for your next tailgating party that will help keep your food organized and you will also have a lot of fun!

Fun Wedding DIY Crafts With Paper

Fun Wedding DIY Crafts With Paper

Looking for some fun projects you can make for your wedding? Paper crafts are among the easiest DIY crafts to make, and there are tons of wonderful projects from which to choose. Get inspired by these fun wedding DIY crafts with paper.

Neon colors are a very hot wedding trend this year, and you can make some fantastic decorations using paper in those intense hues. I especially love the idea of making tissue paper flowers in day-glo orange, lime green, hot pink, and yellow. It would look super cool for the bride to carry a neon paper blossom bouquet. Just imagine how the colors will pop against a white bridal gown. Dramatic wedding jewelry and a pair of shocking pink shoes will complete the style.

Paper chains are something else that you can make with paper for your wedding. Think about the old school chains you used to make as a kid out of strips of paper – this is the same idea. To make them appropriate for a wedding, use special paper like patterned origami paper. Or use solid color paper strips in your wedding colors. They would be a terrific decoration for a wide open reception space, like an outdoor site or suspended from the rafters of a barn. What an easy and inexpensive way to add a lot of color to a big space. Best of all, making paper chains is so simple that you can enlist anyone to help you...even your groom!

Fluffy paper pom poms are another great idea for a wedding paper craft. They are usually made with tissue paper or crepe paper. You can use large pom poms in quite a number of different ways. The colors you select will have a big effect on the tone of your party, so be sure to select colors that make sense with the overall feeling you are creating with your flowers, bridesmaid dresses and wedding jewelry sets, and table decor. Create an ethereal look by filling the ceiling of an indoor reception venue with white and ivory poms. Or design a festive feeling for an outdoor summer wedding with paper balls in fuchsia, tangerine, and green. Crimson, aqua, and white poms will create a retro vibe. Paper poms are not just for hanging from ceilings; they can also go on chair backs, on shepherd's hooks lining the aisle, or almost any place else you can imagine.

Your wedding favor wrappers are another DIY craft option. Certainly you can make special wrapping paper for boxes by stamping or stenciling a motif on paper. You can also create little paper cones (perfect for holding Jordan almonds), tiny paper baskets, or decorative flat bags. The number one tip is to limit yourself to a number of paper crafts that you can realistically complete before your wedding, and to start crafting early. Your fantastic paper projects will definitely add a lot of color and charm to your wedding.