Summertime Craft with Older Grands

Need ideas for a final summer craft with your youngster before they head back to school? Actually I think these are so cool that parents and grandparents could do these themselves. Maybe place the finished product on the patio or along the backyard fence. 

We keep our youngest grandson during the day in the summer while his dad is working. Adney and I are often looking for a craft. These "sticks" caught our eye on Pinterest. I wish I could give you a website for these, but alas, there was no one to credit.

So we did our own version of the project. You'll need 1x1 wooden sticks (36 inches in length) from the craft store or lumber supply. You'll also need paint, various embellishments, paint pens, and twine to be used for hanging their masterpiece.

1x1 sticks that we found at the craft store. My husband cut them into the desired sizes-one long stick and one shorter one.

Paint and supplies we already had on hand.

What is it they say? A picture is worth a thousand words. Probably not used in this context, but I'll let my pictures talk you through the rest of this craft.

Grandson hard at work. He had already done all the painting.

I thought I was taking him to the craft store to get the sticks and perhaps a wooden heart or star. He found these wooden dinosaurs in a bin and already painted. They were perfect for a boy who loves dinosaurs!

Another stick he created. I think we could call these spirit sticks or even totems.

As you can see, Poppa drilled a hole in the top so we could add a string, and they could be hung on the wall of his room.

I've included these closeup shots so you can see the details he painted and glued on.

A boy and his totem!

And here you have them--hanging in the boy's room.

​And there you have it! A fun craft for your kids, grands, or great-grands. And a fun craft for adults too! We have to do something to get us through these dog days of summer.

​You know the saying, "Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think!" And it couldn't be more true about that precious time with your grandkids. 

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