Strengthen family/pet bonds with fun, educational pet crafts for kids
Pet crafts for kids can provide fun, educational activities that truly strengthen family bonds as well as bonds between a child and a pet. Pet crafts for kids can be especially meaningful activities for families in the process of adopting a new pet, or introducing a new pet into the household.
Looking back on my own childhood, I marvel at the patience, kindness, and tolerance my parents exhibited by encouraging my sister and I to adopt kittens, rabbits, birds, turtles, fish, a dog, and yes even frogs, tadpoles and chameleons. But maybe my parents were on to something. Perhaps my parents appreciated the fact children could learn the importance of responsibility by caring for a pet.
Today, even medical studies have proven the health benefits associated with owning and interacting with a family pet. Bonding with and caring for a family pet can reduce stress levels, lower high blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack and heart disease, and combat depression, in addition to teaching children important life lessons about responsibility, discipline, patience, attentiveness, and kindness.
With all this in mind, what better way to nurture relationships between children and their pets, than with homemade pet crafts for kids. These ideas for pet crafts for kids, listed below, are creative, unique ways to celebrate those furry members of your family.
Personalized Pet Collars: Pet collar charms and accessories can be created from a wide variety of materials. Pet collar charm patterns can be found online, or to invent your own designs, consider materials such as leather, plastic canvas, or friendly plastic.
Pet Christmas Stockings: Pet Christmas stockings are a great way to ensure that your furry friends are included in the holiday festivities. Felt patterns for pet stockings, and pet themed appliqu?s can be ordered on line. Or, encourage your child to simply embroider your pet?s name on a stocking.
Pet Ornaments: Decorative pet ornaments can make your Christmas tree extra special. Introduce your child to a sewing project by cutting out two matching pet shapes from felt. Stuff the felt pieces with polyester fiberfill, and stitch around the perimeter of the ornament using a crewel embroidery needle and clear nylon thread. Pearl seed beads can be added as pet eyes, and a mouth, nose, whiskers, etc can be embroidered or even drawn on with felt tip markers.
Pet Artwork Magnets: If your children’s crayon and marker drawings of your family pet are wallpapering your refrigerator, consider turning these creations into magnets. You may wish to reduce the size of original drawings using a color copier. Next, laminate the drawings at a local print shop or Staples office supplies store, or with photo laminating sheets such as Scotch Photo Laminating Sheets. Self-Adhesive magnetic sheets can be purchased in a wide variety of sizes. Use your judgment to decide which size magnets will best suit your children’s drawings.
Pet-Themed Photo Frames: Pet themed photo frames are perfect for displaying photographs of your family pet. However, photo frames also make great gifts for friends, relatives, or neighbors with pets of their own. Visit thrift stores, tag sales, or even craft stores to find inexpensive photo frames; unfinished wooden frames are ideal. It?s easy to embellish a ready-made frame with paints, drawings, stencils, stickers, collage, fabric, yarn or other craft supplies. Craft glue or a glue gun, along with scissors, acrylic paint and paintbrushes can be useful materials for this project.
Pet Toys: Puppy chew toys are one of the easiest pet crafts for kids to make. All you really need are old rags. Cut rags into strips and braid the bunches of strips together. Secure the ends with tightly knotted piece of rags.
Pet-Themed Recipes: Spend quality time teaching children to bake and learn important skills such as measuring, mixing and following instructions. A variety of recipes for pet foods, snacks and treats can be found on line. Your family pets are sure to love tasty dog bone treats or kitty kookies!
Pet-Themed Coloring Book Pages: Pick up a pet-themed coloring book, or down load pet themed coloring or activity pages from the internet. These pages, coupled with crayons, markers, water color paints and paint brushes, will make for hours of entertainment for any young child.
Pet-Themed Games: In addition to pet crafts, consider entertaining your child with pet-oriented games such as pet pairs matching games, puzzles or board games.
More ideas:
Free animal applique patterns