Though the truth is that when you're a kid you don't really care that it's raining outside and no matter how hard it buckets down you look forward to jumping in the puddles!
BUT sometimes it's the grown ups that for whatever reason need to be kept in doors so finding something which will keep those little bundles of joy entertained while mum and/or dad get to work is sometimes not that easy to find.
But there is something we think might just help and we'd like to share it with you...
We were invited to look at and review two new books from Quarto Publishing Group (UK) by author Miri Flower, "The Pencil book" and "The Paint Book". Miri is a prolific craft blogger and has won awards for her online publication including the Sainsbury's Bank "Best family blog" award. You can visit her craft blog which features many more ideas and projects.
The first title is "The Pencil Book" which features lots of great projects which as the name implies can be done by using pencils.
The great thing is that it can be achieved by anyone though I would say that I felt the projects were aimed at younger kids rather then teenagers. All projects are well explained and photographed nicely leaving the maker and the parent(s) happy and confident to just go for it.
Ranging from ideas like recreate your own masterpiece, making paper mosaic to making an actual pencil holder out of coloured pencils!
The second book is "The Paint Book".
Again it's a book which requires little crafty expertise so anyone can learn without feeling uneasy or overwhelmed. As you can guess by the title it's exploring projects mainly through the medium of paint.
All projects are well explained and I do like the way the author has chosen projects that are suitable for both sexes.
I get the feeling that she's tried and tested these projects quite a few times on her own kids and that both she and they really do enjoy making them!
I also love that all the materials and tools are either inexpensive to buy, easily available or things you can find at home.
Funnily enough most of the projects on both books are things I remember making as a child.
I remember the times I used to sit at my little desk in my bedroom painting with my fingers or the afternoons spent with my cousin over summer holidays at my granny's stamping potatoes to make patterns or writing secret letters with lemon juice to the cute boy next door! It was all good fun!!!
Basically these two books are packed with lots of interesting projects and I think it will keep your wee ones happy plus there are also a few projects like "make your own leaf bunting" which will require some outdoor fun too!
I have to say that though at the moment no kids were involved in this review I look forward to taking these with me over Christmas to France and using the nieces and nephews as guinea pigs. I'm sure my mother in law will be super excited too at the prospect of having all six of them quietly making for at least an hour!!! It's tough and I admire all mums and dads who can get their kids away from the telly or the PlayStation and happily making some creative crafts!
Well done Miri... we give these two books a very big paint smeared thumbs up!
To order The Paint Book and The Pencil Book together at the special offer price of £16 including UK P&P, telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk, quoting the offer code APG227 and the book ISBNs 9780711235830 and 9780711235847.
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