The “Take and Make” crafts have been by far the most popular program since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and I have to say the idea is brilliant. One of the challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic for children’s librarians is finding creative ways to teach and entertain children without the luxury of in-person activities. The online story times and other programs over Zoom can capture the children’s attention up to a certain point, but let’s face it, there is really no replacement for socially interacting with others in real life. So what can be done about it? The library staff decided to create a new program that would include craft projects that children could work on at home either on their own, during specific storytimes, or with their families. These craft projects include a bag filled with supplies, directions, and often a QR code for a video instructions. The crafts are then picked up curbside by those who signed up for one. Many of the crafts follow a holiday or season theme such as Lunar New Year or Presidents Day.
The Take and Makes have grown to be so popular, they are picked up around once or twice a week and as many as ninety orders have been made per craft project. The sign up sheets filled up so fast that new rules had to be set in place in order for all patrons to have an equal opportunity to sign up for their children. At this point I was asking myself “But really though, what makes these crafts so popular? Are the projects themselves extra spectacular?” After careful inspection, the crafts themselves are cute, but most of them are simplistic and ordered affordably on the site Oriental Trading. They’re made up of materials such as construction paper, ink stamps, sparkles, pompoms…you know, typical children’s crafts resembling what I made back in my kindergarten days. Which when I think about it, is exactly what these children need. These crafts are a fun, no-pressure activity that include tangible materials they can play with while also connecting with others whether it be with family members at home, or other children online during the online craft-included storytime program.
From an educational standpoint, crafts are an excellent tool for developing fine-motor skills, reading and following instruction, and broadening creativity and imagination. According to Co-creating with children: Arts and Crafts Toys by Hilde Smits, crafts as a children’s activity has the benefit of having educational value and being a creative outlet. Due to the structured nature of crafts, children crafting will develop an increase in cognitive skills such as when facing decisions about shape or details of their project. They experiment with tools, materials and learn to solve problems that might occur. Another great benefit of this activity is increasing family bonds through mutual activity. It is common for parents/guardians to assist their child through the process of building a craft and older siblings will help their younger siblings if they complete theirs first. Children learn to share and collaborate, increasing their social skills.
Although it is great that these crafts are helping children in their development, the truth is these crafts are flying off the shelves simply because the children love them, enjoy working with their hands during a time when they are stuck mostly indoors, isolated, and oversaturated with Zoom screens. It’s a very innovate idea that has kept children interested in their local library despite these crazy pandemic times.
Bibliography
Smits, H. (2016, April). Co-creating with children: Arts and Crafts Toys. University of Twente. http://essay.utwente.nl/69729/2/Smits,%20Hilde%20-%20BA%20Final%20Report%20PUBLIC.pdf
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