National Children’s Craft Day is celebrated on March 14 every year and this holiday is part of the larger National Craft Month, which was tailored to introduce children to the vibrant world of crafting and to encourage them to try their hand at crafting. Crafting is an incredibly useful hobby to have. Not only is crafting a fun way for kids to occupy their time, crafting also aids in their cognitive and motor development. For younger children, crafting can help develop critical thinking. For older tweens and teens, crafting supports the development of creativity, patience, and even self-esteem.
The word ‘craft’ has its etymological roots in the Old High German word ‘kraft’ (strength) and means “an occupation or trade requiring skill.” Crafts, therefore, are the products of utilizing a skill. Crafting has been a staple of every society to date. Every cradle of civilization, every empire, every colony, and every Nation.
The crafts of Ancient Mesopotamia came in the form of pottery embellished with semi-precious stones and beautifully-crafted statues. Copper was soon incorporated when Anatolians began smelting it. Ancient Egypt is now known for its marvelous pyramids and ornate tombs, and Ancient Greece is synonymous with masterfully-carved sculptures.
Today, crafting is done for various purposes and for aesthetic pleasure, cognitive development, social messages, commemorating history, and sometimes, purely for fun. Craftworks produced during each stage of human social and cultural development can tell us a great deal about what the people of that era believed in, what they valued, what gave them joy, and what brought them pain. Crafting need not be as complicated as life-like effigies. It can be simpler activities like clay modeling, paper quilling, knitting, and sewing, among many others.
Crafting has a wide range of benefits too. Research has established that, regardless of what medium is used, crafting can reduce stress and uplift a person’s mood. Crafting has been shown to have antidepressive effects, helping to reduce symptoms experienced by people living with P.T.S.D., anxiety disorders, insomnia, and chronic pain.
NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CRAFT DAY ACTIVITIES
- Spending time with a kid on March 14 then you should use the day to work on a craft project. Bonus points if you make something out of reusable waste and triple points if you take the project outside.
- If you have unwanted craft supplies lying around, consider donating them to an organization near you.
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT CRAFTS
- Leonard da Vinci spent 12 years painting Mona Lisa’s lips.
- In 1565, pencils were invented by the English.
- Between 1912 and 1948, artworks inspired by sports were awarded medals at the Olympics..
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CRAFT DAY
- NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CRAFT DAY celebrates a wonderful practice of crafting which has a range of benefits, but more than that, crafting is a fun activity and it brings people together in a positive way.
- Crafting does wonders for the development of children, along with improving their mental health which is reason enough to love NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CRAFT DAY.
- NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CRAFT DAY is a way to spend quality time with your kids today by grabbing crafting supplies and get to creating inside or outside. The Sky’s the limit as long as your crafting.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
