Creativity Made Simple - Kiwi Crate Sale

The week before Easter, I came home from work to find two glorious pieces of artwork drying on the kitchen counter. Our nanny, bless her heart, had helped the boys use paint and their thumbprints to create these super-cute crosses with beautiful colors and swirls. Right in the middle, both pages proclaimed "Jesus is alive!" Micah and Thomas were so proud of their masterpieces and I did the appropriate fawning all over them for a solid 45 seconds.

Then I threw them away.

What?

Oh, sure.

I tell you all about my anxiety issues and idiotic moments like the snowblower incident, but the second I admit that I'm a "Tosser," I can already feel the backlash coming through my computer screen.

I see how it is

Here's the thing. I don't mind doing crafty things. Heck, deep down I am still a scrapbooker! I have shelves of binders containing the documented memories of our family for years. I used things like glue dots and washi tape. I get it. Call me selfish, but I really only enjoy crafty things when it's for ME.

What I struggle with is doing the Kid Crafts. The things that involve finger paint and glue sticks, glitter and feathers, thumb prints and watercolors, Popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. Anything from Oriental Trading.

And googly eyes.

Sweet mercy, save me from the googly eyes.

This is why it is important to us to hire caregivers for our kids who have a high craft tolerance. They need to not only be able to handle to mess and anarchy that crafting creates, but bonus points if they actually seek out said activities and create them on their own. Evan and I came home from a date one time and found that our babysitter (different than the one listed above. Yes, we have more than one. For sure.) had made homemade salt clay with the boys and had led them in a Creation-themed evening that involved making little models of people with their thumbrints on them because we are all made "with the thumbprint of God." After I picked my jaw up off the floor, we tried to convince that darling girl to drop out of high school and just be our babysitter until our kids turned 18.

I'm not a Craft Mom. I'm just not.

If spring break taught me anything, it's that you can't just stand around and stare at your kids for a week wondering what the heck to do with them now that they aren't in school. Rainy days happen, sick days happen, and there are times when being all craftsy sure would come in handy.

That's where Kiwi Crate comes in.

I heard about Kiwi Crate a while ago and I love how easy they make it to craft with kids. What really excites me is that they have now branched out beyond the crafts and developed crates for multiple ages and with different focus. There is Koala Crate for ages 3-4, Kiwi Crate for ages 4-8, Tinker Crate for ages 9-14, and Doodle Crate for ages 9-16. What really excites  me is the Tinker Crate, a kit that zeroes in on exploring science and technology. The website shows a sample crate where kids built their own trebuchet. As soon as I saw that the little how-to clip referenced The Lord of the Rings, they had me.



What mom of boys WOULDN'T want to build a working trebuchet with her sons, tell me that one!! I just know Isaiah would love doing this and it looks so fun.

Right now, Kiwi Crate (and the other associated age-appropriate crates) is running a fantastic sale. For ONE WEEK only, join Kiwi Crate and save 25% on your 1st month subscription plus FREE shipping.  Use code KC25 to get this deal.

With summer coming up (someday, right?), this would make a fantastic gift for a grandchild, niece, or nephew. This 25% off sale is just the right opportunity I've been waiting for to give Kiwi Crate a try! Who knows? I might become "crafty" after all.

But I still can't promise I will save masterpieces like this for longer than 10 minutes.

Baby steps.

Have you ever tried Kiwi Crate? Are you a Crafty Mom or do you struggle like I do? What are some of your favorite crafts or building-centered activities to do with your kids?

Disclosure: Affiliate links used. This post is not sponsored by Kiwi Crate in any way. I really am craft-challenged and I really do want to build a trebuchet.