Link Love #3 ~ keepin' little hands busy

I have always loved making things with my hands. I remember my mother teaching my sister and me how to sew when we were very young. The first thing I made was a pillow. Soon I moved onto making heart shaped pillows with a single ribbon sewn and tied in a bow on the front. I remember giving one to a lady who was visiting us and she took it with her back to India where she was a missionary. I thought it was so neat that something I made was in India.

I think it is important that children’s hands have something to build, stack, mush, organize, dig, pour, balance, etc. That is one of the things I loved about my childhood: the environment my parents intentionally provided for us. My parents had a very modest income as they served the church and our community but they made sure that we had what we needed and my parents were very resourceful and creative with the rest. For building blocks, my father cut up two-by-fours into small, medium, large and triangular blocks and all five of us kids played with them for hours and hours and hours. I am not kidding. I remember going to the basement with my siblings to play blocks. Peter, my oldest brother, was in charge of dividing the blocks evenly between the siblings when we played Town. Those blocks were used for marble runs, castles, mazes, obstacle courses and countless other purposes that kept us entertained.

We also spent a lot of time building, drawing, cutting, painting, creating and using our imagination. Television was very limited until we got older. I think this is a major reason why all of my siblings are very creative in one way or another.

I love getting inspiration from these websites that help me think of new ways to keep my boys hands busy. They encourage me to do something fun, simple or challenging with the kids.

Take a look and see if you get inspired to make something too!

Made by joel has some really cute ideas to do with your kids. My boys and I made the zip line a while back and loved it!

The long thread has some really great ideas too.  I plan on doing this with the kids soon!

Tinkerlab has a whole section on fun science stuff for kids.

Check out this cute sewing basket over at inner child fun!!!

Make has some cool things to build with older children.

And for some brainy play, check out E is for Explore! 



My mom and dad and my siblings.  I am on my mother's lap.  There are a lot of little hands to keep busy!