Turn off the TV and get out the craft supplies

As a work-from-home mom, I admit that I've relied on the television to keep my kids entertained from time to time. We've all done it, and in balance, TV can be a wonderful thing. According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, though, the average Canadian child watches nearly 14 hours of television each week. In perspective, by high school graduation, the average teen will have spent more time in front of the television than in the classroom. GASP!

This summer, when your children are bored or the weather stinks, try crafting instead of television. And rather than simply set them up to do the project by themselves, reclaim some family time by working together.

You and your children will benefit from quality together time and you'll enjoy the benefits that come from crafting. Having worked with my own children and many others of all ages through workshops and camps, I've seen firsthand what good crafting does.

And according to The New Brunswick Early Language Program, Talk with Me, crafting is a valuable communication tool.

Here's a craft to get you started.

What you need

Windsock

Collecting your materials: The essentials for this project are sheets of craft foam (A large 30 x 45 cm sheet made two windsocks), brads (or a stapler), a hole punch and a thin dollar store plastic table cloth. I used fabric flowers from a flowers lei (found at dollar stores) to decorate the windsock shown. Boys and girls can decorate their windsocks using markers, foam shapes, glitter glue, dimensional fabric paint and so on. Be creative!

Step One: Large sheets (30 x 45 cm) of craft foam can be folded in half (15 x 45 cm) and cut to make two windsocks. Roll the foam to make a tube. Staple to hold the tube together, or use brads and flowers as I did. Simply slip a single artificial flower from a lei onto the brad and then poke the brad through the foam at the overlap. If you need to, you can punch holes through the layers of foam first. Now, fasten the brad on the inside and repeat with one or two more as needed to hold the shape.

Step Two: Decorate the outside of the windsock. I simply added more flowers, again fastening each in place with a brad. As mentioned above, use markers (permanent will stand up to the weather), foam shapes, glitter glue, dimensional fabric paint or anything else you can think of to make your windsock unique.

Step Three: About an inch up from the bottom, use a hole punch to make several evenly spaced holes all the way around the tube. Cut a strip for each hole from the thin plastic tablecloth (you can use the rest of the tablecloth for future craft projects or as a drop cloth).

Step Four: Working your way around the tube, bunch up one end of the strip and poke it through the hole, outside to inside (good fine motor skills and hand eye coordination practice). Make one or two knots at the end of the strip that's inside the tube (an opportunity for kids to practice knot tying) and gently pull it in place. Repeat this for each hole.

Step Five: Near the top of the tube, punch one or two holes (two holes side by side is less likely to tear) on one side and then do the same halfway around the tube. String yarn through the holes and knot to make a hanger.

Step Six: Hang the windsocks in trees or on hooks outside and enjoy.