Hey ya’ll. Happy Tuesday! I can’t believe we’re already this far into August. Since a lot of kiddies shall be returning back to school very soon, now is the perfect time to catch up with them and make sure they’re developing a nice, steady foundation of self-confidence. Here are a few crafts or projects you can do with your child or younger sibling to help reinforce the idea that they are important, worthy, beautiful, and strong. The main message behind these projects is: Not only do YOU matter, but what you think about yourself matters too; your own perception of yourself is arguably the most powerful belief and is definitely more important than what other people think of you. I think it’s a great thing for kids to learn. Too often we start these journeys to self-acceptance so late in life. Give your loved one a head start. ♡
I AM BOARD
Grab a large piece of paper, a canvas, or any sort of similar material. For this craft we will be focusing on what we think of ourselves and what we think our strengths/positive qualities are. It’s vital to do this so that we recognize the good within ourselves and to remind us that we have things that we are not only already good at but can work on to become even more amazing than we already are. Grab some scissors, markers/crayons/pens/paints, a form of glue/tape, pretty little trinkets to adorn your craft, and any sort of patterned paper you enjoy (for an older child, you could incorporate magazine clippings). Using whatever writing utensil you’d like, draw in large letters “I AM…” and then go nuts. Fill in the space remaining with various characteristics you admire about yourself (i.e: strong, independent, talented at ___, good at ____) and decorate the heck out of it. For bonus points, include a picture of yourself- preferably a picture in which you felt most beautiful or happy.
PRETTY PETALS
For this craft you will need two different colored cardstock/papers, glue/tape, marker, something round you can trace (size depends on how big you want the flower to be), scissors, and a pencil. The main goal of this project is very similar to the one above; we will be naming characteristics/qualities of ourselves that we think are good or great, but these will mostly be one-word descriptions (ex.: truthful, artistic, kind, hardworking, etc.). Trace a circle on the piece of paper you would like to be the inner part of the flower. Cut the shape out and write your name on it with your favorite color marker. Feel free to decorate it as you please. Then, using your other piece of paper, draw petal shapes and cut these out too. The amount of petals is entirely up to you. Then write one nice thing about yourself on each petal- remember, you can decorate these too if you want! Then using the glue/tape, connect the petals to the center piece and voila! Your self-esteem flower is complete!
MYSELF & I
This last project is all about positivity. Unlike the two I have already mentioned, this particular craft involves both your own self-perception and how others view you. You will need either a canvas or a large piece of paper, a pen/marker, and some paints (watercolor will work best). Take your pen or marker and draw the silhouette of a person from the shoulders up. Next, take the paints and have fun. Decorate the two defined spaces of the paper as it pleases you. Personally, I made mine teal and green/blue on the outside and blue/purple on the inside of the silhouette. Wait for this to dry. When it’s safe to play with again, use your pen/marker and write the best compliments you have ever received on the outside of the silhouette. These may include compliments regarding physical appearance/beauty, but it’s important to really keep your mind on the great things of yourself that cannot be “seen”. After all, one’s true beauty cannot be measured by how fabulous you look on the outside! When you’ve completed that, take your time and write within the silhouette the characteristics you personally admire about yourself/love about you. When that is finished, adorn as you wish and feel proud that you’ve done this project.
Thanks to Pinterest for inspiring these projects. Have you tried/will you be trying any of these with your little ones? What were the results?
scarsandsparkles 