Everything.
You have done everything to keep the children occupied during the lockdown. Games, television shows, exercise, cooking, craft—your refrigerator door now looks like a modern art museum display.
But might we suggest one more thing?
Creating DIY gifts with your children!
Now, it is not a new concept, but a much-needed one considering how most of us have let celebrations slip through our fingers while we stay at home, fearing the virus looming outside our doorstep.
From birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations, everything is based on the dancing colours on the pixels of our screens. Since there is no way to have physical parties to commemorate these moments, involving your children in making handiwork can give them a sense of anticipation and fulfilment, all while you can incorporate lessons on being savvy with money.
There are so many things children can make with what is already in the home, from stationary, edible treats and personalised mementoes.
Birthday Gifts
If there is one celebration children are exceedingly excited about, they are birthdays. From gift gifting, blowing of candles and cake cutting, the excitement has been stripped away due to the lockdown. However, you can still remember birthdays of friends, siblings and cousins when there is an activity they can be involved in for a birthday.
Mark birthdays of friends and family on your calendar, and if one is coming up, get your children involved in making a DIY gift.
How about making friendship bracelets? All you need is a few strips of coloured strings and choose the type of designs before you teach them how to knot them.
Here are a few super easy designs you can start with your children:
Alternatively, you can make hand sanitisers. All you need is aloe vera gel and isopropyl alcohol. But if you want it to be extra moisturising, you can add vitamin E (you can burst a vitamin E supplement capsule and mix it in) and a few drops of your child’s preferred essential oil (just like making perfume).
After pouring it into a bottle, they can ‘brand’ their gift with their initials and a little note on the bottle. For a step-by-step on how to make the hand sanitiser, check out the tutorial video here.
Special Celebrations
Other than birthdays, there are other events like graduations, anniversaries or passing examinations. During these times, every milestone achieved can be a celebration!
Get your children involved in such celebrations by DIY-ing a gift.
Make items with what they have, like LEGO® pen holders. They can even add a photo for a touch of personalisation. Check out how to make usable pen holders here.
Many parents have grown green thumbs after staying at home for quite a long stretch. If you are one of them, get your child involved as well! Gardening can teach a child a lot of life lessons, from the science of plant growth, circle of life and even the value of patience.
Create a gift out the hobby by allowing your child to unleash their creativity on the terracotta pots using paint marker pens. Once done, let it dry for a bit and allow them to mix soil mediums, before pouring it into the flower pot. They can either bury a seed or place a plant cutting. Your child can wait for the plant to grow its first leaves before gifting.
Festive Greetings
Festivities that used to involve many family and friends are now reduced to immediate family members. However, gifts can always put a smile on any face. What better way than to DIY gifts in bulk!
Then, just toast it in an oven or pan for several minutes until it browns, and there you have it, your homemade granola. Your children will love pouring, stirring and packing the granola. If you have extras, rest assured that they will be gone during breakfast the next morning.
Bonus: Vege stamped wrapping paper
Is a gift a gift if it is not wrapped? Instead of purchasing wrapping paper, have your child make one through stamping. Rummage through leftover vegetables you have in the kitchen and let them experiment with the prints and colour. Once done, let it dry and use it to wrap the gifts they have made above!
Why expose your child to DIY gifting?
It may seem like a project to keep the children occupied when online classes are running, but DIY gifting covers more ground than that.
First, you can teach them the value of items that are readily available at home. Sure, it is easier to pick an item from online stores, but when they put in their effort to make an item for someone, the gift becomes priceless and one-of-a-kind.
Secondly, you are teaching them how to be generous. In a ‘give me’ generation, it is so important to practice giving. Of course, it does not come naturally. You might even have to deal with your child being unwilling to give up their masterpiece. However, assure them that there are plenty of opportunities to do it for themselves.
At the same time, talk to them about how they feel when they are giving their gift and praise them when they willingly offer presents to their friends and family.
Many times, parents buy items on behalf of their children, and they rarely take part in the making and giving. To raise kind and charitable adults, parents are encouraged to get them involved in giving. After all, the world definitely needs more kindness—your children will only benefit from this.
Read more interesting stories and fun recipes on Motherhood.com.my!