Tag: children’s crafts

One thing I hate about the toy store is that so many offerings tend to stick heavily to traditional gender roles. Girls play with dolls, pink tea sets, and cute craft kits, while the boys get sports equipment, cars, and action figures.

So, I was really pleased to see that Cra-Z-Loom has attempted to help make the rubber band bracelet craze appeal to boys by introducing options that go beyond traditional girlish marketing.

My son is into comics, so I noticed the Marvel Comics set featured in this post right away. Red, black, and blue tend to be popular colors with most boys. I definitely think the Spiderman, Hulk, and Iron Man charms might entice a boy who wants to make a bracelet to try his hand at this craft.

If your son isn’t into comics, Cra-Z-Loom also makes a Ninja Turtles set, as well as a blue loom starter set with a boy on the front proudly modeling his creations. The charm sets sell for $4.99 and the loom starter set sells for $14.99 on the Toys “R” Us website.

Crafty activities like making rubber band bracelets are a great way to teach kids about the value of patience, persistence, and creativity. I fully support Cra-Z-Loom’s attempt to make sure kids of both genders get to experience these benefits.

Do your kids enjoy making rubber band bracelets? If so, what do you think of this attempt to make the activity appeal more to young boys?

Photo credit: Toys “R” Us

Is your daughter a style maven? If so, Shains might be the perfect addition to her wardrobe.

Shains are an assortment of accessories that let girls create their own one-of-kind messages and change them as the mood strikes. They are made from colorful stretchy rubber and feature holes that can be used to attach removable charm elements.

Shains strives to be an eco-friendly company. The bracelets and cuffs are made of recycled TPE rubber and the elements are made of recycled ABS. Product packaging is made from recycled paper and polypropylene bags. All products are lead free and pass all US and European safety standards, including CPSIA and EN71 requirements.

Shains contributes up to 10% of its net profits to Earth-centric organizations, such as the Jane Goodall Institute and Heal The Bay.

Shains has watches, bracelets, ponytail holders, iPhone cases, and key chains that you can customize with your favorite elements. There are even adorable pet collars that you can make to create a personalized accessories for your four legged friend!

Visit the Shains website to check out the full product line. Free shipping is offered on domestic orders of $50 or more.

I think this looks like something any creative tween or teen girl would be happy to get. I actually had a watch that operated on a similar concept when I was about 13 and I remember thinking it was the coolest accessory ever. Shains are also much more affordable than charm bracelets and other types of customizable jewelry on the market today.

What do you think of Shains? Is this something your daughter would enjoy?

Photo credit: Shains

If you have a daughter who wants to start making handmade jewelry, Walmart has a nice value priced set that provides everything a beginner needs for less than $20.

The set was one of the featured Black Friday items, but it still available for sale online and in many retail locations. Read more…

Although I do have several purchased ornaments on my tree, there’s something about handmade ornaments that I find very appealing. My favorites are the ones my son makes, since they are a great illustration of how his artistic skills have developed over the years.

If you’re looking for a cool Christmas craft for your kids to make, check out this bamboo ornament painting kit from GLOB. The kit lets you stain bamboo ornaments with natural, botanical colors. Read more…