Fun Projects for Your Family

Family Crafting: Fun Projects to Do Together

By Carol Scheffler

Be prepared for lines at the circulation desk. Parents of all ages (and even grandparents) will clamor for this eloquent introduction to crafts for families. Scheffler, arts and crafts editor of Parents magazine and author of Rubber Stamping for the First Time (1999), has, in fact, produced a crafts book for dummies, because each of the more than 30 projects is presented in large type, illustrated with multiple color photographs, and marked with steps to be completed by adults only. Further, there are genuine nongeeky items from which to choose: a treasure mirror, a travel board game, and a baseball-card box, all decorated in bright colors. Instructions don’t demand much more than familiarity with needle and thread or hammer and nail. Definitely a book for all seasons and any reason. Metric conversion chart appended. — Barbara Jacobs

Also of Interest

Creative Family Projects

By Cynthia MacGregor

Most family-activity books focus on entertaining the younger set (preschool and early graders), but this collection will supply summertime and year-round diversions for all ages, even intergenerational fun. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles can join in with parents, teens, and children to create and play a family trivia game or some of the imagination stretchers suggested here. Often the authors recommend that an activity, such as a family meeting or disaster-avoidance rehearsals, become a regular event. Here is a medley of exciting and enlightening ideas that will challenge the TV for a family’s attention. — Denise Perry Donavin

Disney’s Family Fun Crafts: 500 Creative Activities for You and Your Kids

By Deanna F. Cook

With the surprising statistic that 90 percent of all U.S. households “own” at least one crafter, this activities book, sponsored by the Mouseketeer company and borrowed from the pages of one of its magazines, was born. Almost all of the 500 projects require little in the way of knowledge or skill or expensive materials, from creating pasta planes to fashioning a plaster of paris lovebug brooch. Directions are somewhat abbreviated, presuming an allowance for use by kids and personal creativity. Although the layout is very busy, the photographs are in color, helping crafters and parents visualize final forms. Sidebars on safety, working with different media, and reader ideas are featured throughout, enhancing a collection of crafts that just could occupy every minute of a once-lackluster family vacation. – Barbara Jacobs

From a House to a Home: Simple Ideas and Projects to Enrich Everyday Family Life

By Jemima Mills

Consider this a cousin of The Joy of Cooking, a warm, somewhat scattered approach to the process of making a home more joyful, friendlier, and more humane. British fashion stylist and director Mills concentrates on the daily routines that make up family life, starting with specific rooms and then evolving into tips, activities, menus, and decorating ideas. The kitchen is, of course, first; there’s an alert about safety, such as knives pointing down in the dishwasher, and drawers featuring safety stops. Various rooms and family routines follow, with plenty of color pictures, occasional recipes, and creative play ideas. She suggests, for example, that special blankets and special comfort food accompany a “poorly bed” set aside for the invalid child. And it’s mind boggling to realize what “family playtime” encompasses, from painting T-shirts and building sand castles to enjoying peace and quiet. Bibliography appended. — Barbara Jacobs

These reviews first appeared in Booklist. For more recommendations and reviews check out Booklist at your local library.