Easter school holidays are here and that means some very special littlies in your life need constant stimulation, entertainment and guidance. Let slip for too long and it can lead to boredom, crankiness and temper tanties – definitely to be avoided!

Craft is a great way to do this. Art and craft allows kids to express themselves in ways they may otherwise be unable to, and feel a sense of achievement and a job well done. Watching DVD, playing on the computer aren’t always bad activities, it just depends on the content. But craft activities are active rather than passive, and every moment an adult spends with a child on an activity results in positive emotional development.

For younger kids, projects that only take a short time and are lots of fun are recommended. For older children, craft can help the kids learn alot about real life. They can make their own decisions, working to a budget to gather the materials they need. Plus don’t forget, following instructions carefully are skills for life.

In Lincraft stores, we hear of many kids across Australia learning to knit. Young mums can see that it not only relaxes tension, but that it is also good for growing maths skills – counting, measuring, and improving coordination are all obvious outcomes from learning to knit.

Here are some tips for getting through these school holidays – crafty and happy!

1. Get a craft bits and bobs crate stashed away. Popular staples are stickers, stamps, beads, old shoe boxes, feathers, buttons and paints.

2. Get the kids to put together a little calendar of what they’d like to make each day of the break.

3. Consider dry and wet weather plans – painting at the park and baking if the weather doesn’t go your way.

4. There are heaps of school holiday programs available – check your local library, councils, galleries and museum. Just book in quick or your child will miss out on a spot!

5. Don’t be anxious about getting other kids involved – often a few extra numbers can help get the kids into the spirit of things. Just don’t forget to warn parents to dress them in something to get dirty! And the extra pair of adult hands wouldn’t go astray either if their Mum or Dad can stay.

6. You can theme days – on garden day you could plant some seeds, paint some ceramic pots, dry flowers and bake flower-shaped biscuits.

7. Kids love dress ups. You can spend a whole morning creating a costume in a particular theme, and then at the end of the week the kids can do a fashion parade of all the costumes they’ve made that week!