Project Kid

Starred review from March 3, 2014
This excursion into childhood’s dream world—where a spool with a ribbon remnant can become a balloon and cotton balls can make juice-box owls fly—is not a typical kids’ craft book. Kingloff tells parents the grocery store is “no longer about shopping for oatmeal and crackers,” but “about finding materials to make bongo drums or a miniature village.” She explores the joys of felt, which doesn’t fray when cut by little hands, and the fun of pipe cleaners, which she touts as the earliest type of wire for very young crafters. Kingloff, a former lifestyle editor at Parents magazine, shows how to turn the old toilet-tissue tube into a sturdy train complete with hole-punched passenger windows. Joiner-biscuit butterflies take wing, and K-cups are transformed into a set of door chimes suitable for adult display. The emphasis is clearly on the home, but there are clear applications for classrooms, day care, and the enterprising babysitter needing to answer the “I’m bored” whine. Hardly just a rainy-day project compendium, this is work to keep brains busy and families happy. 400 photos.

Starred review from March 15, 2014

Kingloff, former lifestyle director, Parents magazine, and DIY journalist, specializes in crafts for parents and children. In this compilation of ecofriendly creations, she shares her imaginative ideas, many of which make clever use of household items such as empty K-cups, paper towel tubes, and juice boxes. The projects are organized by theme, which allows parents and other caregivers to choose projects that satisfy a child's interests, such as animals, fashion, and play. The simpler entries are appropriate for preschoolers and up, while some of the more complex crafts are best for school-age children. Kingloff's directions are a nice blend of photographs and text and are easy enough for youngsters to follow. These crafts provide an excellent jumping-off point for children's creativity, since most are open-ended and require children to make a variety of choices that impact the final product. VERDICT Project Kid has broad appeal for parents and caregivers looking for ideas, as well as for librarians to engage the after-school or summer reading crowds with some low-cost craft activities.

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