I must admit I was initially annoyed by the concept of BoyCraft (Frances Lincoln, RRP £12.99) – ‘Why can’t boys just do ordinary craft?’ I may have muttered. But, I decided to persevere with it because I love Buttonbag, the craft kit company owned by authors Sarah Marks and Sara Duchars. And, I confess I did change my mind. Alfie is a craft fiend – he’s never happier than when he’s making or creating and, although some of the 50+ ideas are a little bit advanced, there’s plenty in here to keep a nearly five-year-old entertained. There are paper, sewing, knitting, wood and modelling projects to do. The ‘Creepy Crafts’ section is particularly fantastic – Dead Man’s Finger or Egg Eyeballs anyone? – so simple and great for Halloween play dates. In preparation for Winter Paralympics fever, we had a go at the jam jar medals (see below) and I feel sure Alfie will adore the idea of turning his soft toys into superheroes with fabric masks and capes. And, of course, there’s no reason why female members of the family shouldn’t enjoy taking part in these activities as much as the male ones, it’s just a great springboard for parents struggling for inspiration for reluctant makers.
If you fancy making your own medals, pop along to the BoyCraft workshop between 2-4pm at the ever-wonderful Museum of Childhood on Saturday.
Leave a Reply