Summertime Kids Crops

Those lazy days of summer are right around the corner. Days are longer, and kids are home from school. Most of us like to attend a crop now and then, and if your children enjoy scrapbooking and crafting then they too might like to participate in, or even host, a kids' crop.

Mommy and Me events are always popular in the summer when little ones are home. Getting a group of friends together offers a social outlet for the children and parents alike. There are two different style of crops for kids: the planned activity crop and the freestyle craft day.

Planned Activity Crop:

If you like the idea of an orderly event then the planned activity crop is the best way to go. Decide on your guest list, and then plan a specific project that each child will complete with or without adult help. Large zip-top baggies can hold pre-cut items, sticker modules, a glue stick and other necessary materials. Have a finished example for the kids and parents to see and a few typed instructions included with each kit.

This type of crop is great for children at reading level or above. They can follow the directions and complete a layout, mini-book, or other project and then personalize it to make it their own style.

Keep in mind any tools you'll need, and inform parents ahead of time if their child will need scissors, photographs, and the like, so that they can bring them to the crop.

With this type of event I like to have the kids craft something other than a scrapbook layout. Picture frames, book covers, accordion-fold mini albums, or altered shoe boxes are all fun ideas. These are items that the children can use or give as a gift even if they don't have a scrapbook of their own started.

If your activity is hosted at the beginning of the summer you could have the children complete a simple What I Did This Summer mini album. Then throughout the summer parents can help their child add photos and fill in the journaling.

Freestyle Craft Day:

If the idea of a free-for-all, no-holds-barred day of creative expression is more your style then I suggest going with a more loosely planned event.

Ask participating parents to clean out their stash of supplies. Each child brings a shoebox-sized plastic container with a lid that is labeled with his or her name on it. Inside this container can be paper scraps, stickers or die cuts, paper doll bodies, and bits or pieces of collage items; whatever the parent no longer needs is fair game.

As the host you provide glue sticks, and have communal tools like shaped scissors, punches, stamps or a die-cut machine. You can also provide a crafting base, like a poster-sized piece of tag board, a large letter from the child's name, or small journals.

The children then have the afternoon to glue, sticker, bejewel, and otherwise embellish to their heart's contentment.

You do have to be prepared for a little more mess this way, but it's a wonderful way for parents to clean out their unused supplies as well as offering the children creative license to create whatever their imagination comes up with.

Tips for Either Type of Crop

No matter which type of activity you plan here are a few tips to keep your crop moving along smoothly, and ensure plenty of fun for everyone.

• Invitations: Be sure to send out invitations early enough that your guests can attend your crop. Summer days fill up fast, and you don't want any of your friends missing out because they didn't hear about your crop early enough. An email reminder or call a day or two before will give you a good idea of who is planning on attending.

• Name Badges: It can be hard to remember all those little one's names. Simple necklace-style name badges that slip over the child's head are an easy solution. You can use precut photo mattes and stickers to decorate them, and then punch holes in the top corners and string some yarn through the holes.

• Snacks: Finger foods and juice boxes are my preferred snacks for kid crops. Nothing that will cause sticky fingers or easily spill all over the budding artist's creations should be served. Cookies, grapes, cheese and crackers, or licorice vines are all good options.

• Wet Wipes: Even with the best planning, accidents happen. It's always best to have a tub of wet wipes on hand for quick clean up, or to remove icky glue-stick residue from work surfaces.

• Garbage Cans: If adults need their own trash receptacle at a crop then children will need two! Make sure you have plenty of garbage bags near the snack area, the cropping area, and a few in between as well. You'll want to point out the garbage cans before the kids start crafting so they know where to toss their scraps.

• Swap and Crop: If you have several children coming to the crop it's the perfect time to plan a little swap, specifically child-related items like books or toys. Each parent can choose a few items that are in nice condition that their children no longer play with or books they've outgrown, and add them to the swap table. Then the children can all take turns picking out something new to take home. This is a great way to recycle. Anything left over can be donated to a local shelter or thrift store.

• Thank You Notes: Lastly, take this opportunity to teach your children about the fine art of the thank-you note. Something simple and sincere is all that is necessary, and it will be appreciated by each guest.

Summer is the perfect time to play host and plan a fun-filled kid's crop of your own. Our children love sharing our hobby with us, and working together to plan a child-friendly crop can be very exciting for parent and child alike. It doesn't have to be elaborate; it just has to be fun!