Crafting can be a wonderful way for foster tweens to express their creativity, learn new skills, and bond with their foster families. You can choose an activity to do on a rainy day or have fun outside, in the garden, where making a mess doesn’t matter so much.
Here are 5 fun crafting activities to try with foster children ages 9-12:
1. Decoupage Planters
Decoupage is the art of decorating objects by gluing coloured paper cutouts onto them in pretty patterns. When fostering in Wolverhampton, help tweens decoupage simple terracotta pots to create planters they can later plant seeds or small plants in. Provide them with pots, decoupage glue or mod podge, paint brushes, coloured tissue paper or napkins, and acrylic sealer. Let them cut out their own shapes and designs to create one-of-a-kind decoupaged planters they’ll be proud to display in their rooms or give as gifts.
2. Rainbow Wind Chimes
Make musical wind chimes in rainbow colours as an upbeat craft. Take a wooden dowel and have the tween paint it in rainbow stripes using acrylic craft paints. Once dry, tie colourful yarn, ribbons, beads, shells or buttons at intervals along the dowel. Hang some metal bells from the bottom and top. Attach a string to hang the wind chimes somewhere breezy outside or by an open window where they can catch the wind and make rainbow music.
3. Nature Collages
Making collages from natural materials found outdoors can encourage creativity. Have tweens collect leaves, flowers, pebbles, sticks, pinecones and other interesting nature bits on a walk. Provide cardboard baking sheets as collage bases and glue like hot glue or tacky glue to affix their found materials into cool nature-inspired collages. They can spell their names, make patterns or pictures – it’s up to their imaginations!
4. Melted Crayon Art
For this unique art medium, tape white paper to tables or cardboard canvases. Have tweens peel crayon wrappers and break crayons into pieces. Then turn on a hair dryer to medium heat and hold it 6 inches above the paper. As the crayons melt, they can tilt the paper to make the melted wax run and blend. Add more crayon pieces to build up colour and texture. The wax will dry with a cool crackled effect.
5. Memory Keepsake Boxes
Help foster tweens make special keepsake boxes. Provide small unfinished wooden boxes and acrylic paints. Let them decorate the boxes by painting designs, words or images that represent their personal stories and happiest memories. Have them coat the boxes with polyurethane sealer when the paint is dry. Tweens can use their memory boxes to store precious photos, trinkets, journals or anything that helps them remember all the good times as they continue growing up.
Crafting taps into creativity, builds confidence through learning new skills, and enables self-expression – all while having fun!
Try out these activities to bond with foster tweens and bring more art and meaning into their lives. Adapt the crafts based on their interests and what materials are on hand. The main thing is creating an encouraging environment for them to craft their own unique pieces.
