If your children are stuck with nothing to do on a rainy day, on vacation, or during the holidays, then this book
might be considered something of a godsend. Filled with craft projects for tweenage (8-12) boys and girls, it is
sure to keep most children occupied for at least five minutes...
...But hopefully a lot longer than that. This book is actually a compendium of six books in the Step By Step
series and is comprised of six sections. These are printing, creative lettering, mosaics, papier mâché, origami
and handmade cards. Each section has a two-page introduction to the subject, and each project is one or more pages
in length, colorfully illustrated with photos of children proudly holding up the items and helpful staged photos
with the simple instructions.
I was impressed by how succinctly each project was described, making it easy to understand without having to
puzzle through a hoard of words. Even more impressive is that lack of expensive store-bought materials needed.
Feathers, paper, paint, oddments, leftovers and kitchen items all come into their own, showing that a trip to town
isn’t necessary before anything can be made.
There are some pretty nifty things to make in here as well, a step up from the similar books I had as a child.
Make a mosaic coaster with modelling clay, a picture of a knight in armour with odd screws and washers, print a
T-shirt, bake and decorate cookies and make shaker cards, to name a few.
Many of the projects, with a little thematic tweaking, would be ideal for holiday preparations, or suitable for
making props for school plays. Additionally, if you are a leader of any organisation for children or a teacher, you
can mine this book endlessly for creative, fun and educational activities. I’ve seen a lot of books of this type,
but I think this has to be one of the best.
You can find a list of suppliers of craft materials at the publisher's site,
SearchPress.com