Now don't get me wrong, arts and crafts is not just a girl's thing where a boy would feel embarrassed to take part in. Truth be told, there are tons of ideas for children; boys and girls. You can sit with them and go over the different craft ideas mentioned below. So... let's see what they choose. Kirigami is a Japanese word that means to cut paper. This craft style is a variation of origami where you take a piece of paper, fold it at the base, and then cut it in different shapes and sizes. The end result from kirigami is mostly symmetrical as it provides you an image where both sides, from the base, match one another. For kids, kirigami can be a learning experience as it teaches them about an art form which is thought-provoking and unique. By cutting paper using the kirigami techniques, kids can learn to make snowflakes, hearts, animals, and even 3D objects of different shapes and sizes. Once they have developed this art, they can even teach their friends at school and in the neighborhood. But just be careful, as they will be using scissors for the craft, you can purchase scissors made especially for kids so they don't hurt themselves. For interesting patterns to learn, you can go online and search for correct instructions on how the various patterns can be made with colorful paper. Kids love to draw and paint. This is the one idea on craft books that kids simply adore. There really isn't much to prepare for this book as all the supplies needed will include blank papers, water colors, crayons, color pencils, and a whole lot of imagination. Painting is one thing most people are good at (because playing with colors is always fun and creative). When kids are getting bored during the summer, painting can be a safe haven for them. Painting makes kids think creatively, open their minds, and imagine the unlimited possibilities. They can express their true feelings and emotions through painting, feel proud of themselves that they are talented, and learn something new. In its literal sense, this craft project helps kids gain self-esteem and confidence in themselves and look at the world in a different manner. Apart from painting, kids can also do pencil sketching. As paper craft is a huge concept and can be taken in whichever direction kids are interested in. There are various flowers which can be made with tissue paper and craft paper such as roses, sunflowers, carnations, lilies, and daisies. And I will not disagree, making paper flowers is somewhat a girly thing to do. If you have a boy, you could try to get them interested, but if it's something they don't like it, you could try a different paper craft idea. Apart from this idea, paper crafts can be used in a different direction as well. They can make greeting cards using digital photos and even drawing images by themselves. These cards can be made for special occasions like birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, get well soon cards, and Christmas. As these cards have different concepts, kids can make tons of them and use them whenever needed. Other concepts for paper craft can be decoupage and paper mache. Origami is a very old, very popular Japanese art where you fold paper in different techniques to make a particular image. This hobby is practiced almost everywhere around the world and is loved by people of various age groups. Kids especially get excited about this craft project as they get to fold the paper and make interesting designs out of them. The different origami patterns and designs which can be made are fortune teller, flowers, animals (dog, frog, whale, elephant, dragon, swan, etc.), heart, boats, and other 3D shapes. You don't require a lot of items for the craft as paper is the main material which can help them create different patterns. With various colored craft paper, kids can make impressive designs and play with them with their friends. There are various, easy origami instructions for kids that you can teach them. Alright, I'll admit it. Potpourri craft is somewhat limited to girls; so let's just dedicate it to them. Potpourri is a French word which means (loosely translated) mixing or collecting various items together. In this craft, you take different items like flowers, spices, blooms, wood shavings, bark, leaves, and other items which have a natural fragrance in them. These items are dried in a particular manner and then combined so that we get unique scents. Many people use potpourri to decorate their homes and offices as it gives out strong fragrance and enhances the ambiance. You and your kids can make potpourri sachets, bags, and prepare mixes to place in decorative bowls. Scrapbooking is looked at as a hobby, where the possibilities are endless. Same goes for the kids. As they are growing up, every day of their lives is interesting and has some new, unknown surprises waiting for them. You can help them record every major or minor incidents in their lives and keep it as a wonderful and unforgettable memory that lasts forever. You can help them get started with the scrapbook by putting their baby pictures and some beautiful mementos when they were too young to remember. Have them get pictures of their friends at school so that they can add them in their scrapbook. Even pictures from the family vacations, birthdays, summer camps, soccer practice; all these pictures can be added in the book. Write short messages below the pictures so that they can remember when each of them were taken. With so many ideas for a scrapbook, they're going to be busy for a very long time. Instead of purchasing craft books from toy stores, help them make one of their own. Encourage them to try different arts and crafts project, and see them enjoy something new every time.