D.I.Y. Dreams

Watching YouTube videos and browsing Pinterest pages leads me to believe that tweens are way more creative than they used to be.  I’ve seen girls making prom dresses out of Duct tape, purses from candy wrappers, and the most intricate little polymar clay creations I’ve ever seen. 

As a tween, I had to wait until summer camp to learn how to make intricate friendship bracelets or beg cool older siblings to teach me how to make my own bedazzled scrunchies! 

With social media, tweens are sharing amazing new crafting techniques.  They’re logging on, learning the basics, and then adding their unique twist. 

Imaginista ™ is a hot new craft line that embodies this exact trend.    

Each kit teaches a unique crafting concept.  They are stocked full of content and include an instruction and information booklet that will take you from beginner to advanced in no time.  Once the kit is completed, you’ll be able to continue growing and personalizing your skills. 

For instance, Imaginista ™ Tie Dye includes a plain white T-shirt and all the supplies to dye this shirt and turn it into a trendy tasseled tote (without sewing!).  Once the craft is completed, tweens can turn any shirt into a similar bag.  They’ll also know all the tips and tricks to create funky tie-dye patterns that they can apply to headbands, shirts, and more!

It’s amazing to see tweens expressing themselves and exploring their creativity.  They’re not only creating totally unique designs, they’re developing problem-solving skills, building self-esteem, and expressing their individuality!  

Try your own Imaginista™ kit!

. 

Craft Aren't Just for Rainy Days

Craft kits are often the go-to activity on those blustery rainy days - but that doesn’t mean that when the sun is shining you can’t get crafty!

Get Messy

Children love getting messy – take advantage of sunny days and let them get a little messy outdoors.  Set up a table in the backyard and choose anything from exploding science to glitter-filled kits!

Try My First Finger Paint & Frames™ and let them get their hands dirty – literally! 

While it’s messy, finger painting is therapeutic, teaches children how to mix colors, strengthens hand and finger muscles, and contributes to fine motor skill development.  Throw a tarp over the picnic table, get them in an old t-shirt and let the fun begin!

 

Get Active

Active play and craft kits don’t often go hand in hand.  From making your own bouncy ball to homemade bubble wands, there are several new kits on the market right now that actually encourage outdoor active play.

Make Your Own Glitter Chalk™ has children designing their very own sparkling sidewalk chalk.  Mix plaster, color, and paint into molds.  Once dry, it’s time to get outside and make beautiful pictures.

Look for Glitter Chalk™ and other crafts kits that combine creativity and active lifestyle at your local toy store.

 

Get Creative

Don’t have a craft kit on hand?  No problem!  There are a ton of crafts that children can do using materials found outdoors.  Collect leaves and flowers and press them in a book between wax paper.  Build a statue out of rocks and branches, make a wreath or table centerpiece with bits of nature, or make a bird feeder out of a pinecone.  

With a little guidance, they’ll have a blast exploring the world around them and using their imaginations to create unique crafts in no time! 

 

.

How to Create Crafty Kids

I hear from parents all the time that they are always looking for ways to encourage their children’s love of crafts. Sure, they give them paper to draw on and the occasional molding clay, but they’re not sure how to expand past that. Painting is too messy and everything on Pinterest is too difficult.
Because of this, many children miss the educational and creative benefits crafting offers. When parents buy a craft kit from their neighborhood specialty toy store, all the materials are included, the instructions are clear, and the age recommendations are right on the box. Children learn key crafting concepts from these kits that can be transferred to other arts and craft projects.

1. No Rules Apply!
   “Make your bed.” “Eat your veggies.” “Stop drawing on your little brother.” Kids live in a world of rules and restrictions. Make craft time a rule-free zone. Let children choose which direction to take and watch their creativity blossom. Read the instructions for the kit together, but use them as a guideline only; if your child wants to put glitter here instead of there, let them do it! When you create a craft project without rules, your child won’t get frustrated or stuck on the idea that they’re doing it ‘wrong’.
   
2. Gift It
   The Holidays are right around the corner, plus it seems like there’s a different birthday party every weekend, which means you’re always out buying gifts. Teach your children about the true spirit of giving and help them make a special gift. Choose a kit that results in a nice piece of room décor, pretty set of homemade cards, or create some customized jewelry. Seeing how happy their crafts make other people is sure to boost their self-confidence.
   
3. Trendy Tweens
   Tweens are always trying to figure out where they fit in and how to express themselves, especially through their clothing and accessories. Luckily, the tween arts and crafts market is growing rapidly, meaning they’ll have no problem finding the perfect kit for their unique style. Tweens love sitting down and making something they can wear and share with friends. A craft kit designed just for them is sure is sure to help them reach their full creative potential.
   
4. Mix it Up
   Some children prefer open concepts while others require a more guided play experience. Some craft kits are filled with crafting materials and let children create whatever they want, while others are structured, showing just one way to complete the project. Walk your child through your neighborhood toy store and see which kits they gravitate to. New crafts are an opportunity for both you and your child to get creative!
   
5. Develop Skills
   Crafting develops fine motor skills, enhances concentration, builds social skills, and more! One of the perks of shopping at a specialty toy store is the knowledgeable and helpful staff. If your child liked a specific kit, ask them to suggest other products that use a similar skill set, similarly, if there is a skill they need to improve on, the staff will be happy to suggest a kit that will help. 

.

It's a March Break Twitter Party - 

and you're invited!

 

 From sparkling jewelry boxes to plushy pals, we have the perfect craft kit for every child. 

We invite you to hang out with us for an hour to talk about toys and win fantastic prizes!

Join us Tuesday, March 12th at 1pm Eastern Standard Time.

Our party hashtag is #orbparty

Follow us on twitter at @orbfactory

Visit our website to view all our craft kits. 

FAQ:

Q. What is a Twitter Party?
A. A Twitter Party is a virtual party that happens right on Twitter.  We will lead a discussion, ask questions and give away lots of prizes!  To join the party, simply follow us on Twitter (@orbfactory) and use our hashtag (#orbparty).  To find our party, just search #orbparty in Twitter.
Using the third party site can make things easier to follow.  Suggestions for these sites can be found in the link below.
http://www.twitterpartyguide.com/what-is-a-twitter-party

Q. What is a hashtag?
A. Any word can become a hashtag by simply putting the # symbol in front of it.  This allows you to see not only tweets from the host, but from everyone else participating in the conversation.  Make sure you add the #orbparty to the end of your tweets so others at the party can see what you've typed.
More on hastags:
https://support.twitter.com/articles/49309-what-are-hashtags-symbols#

Q. How long does the party last?

A. Our party will last one hour, from 1pm to 2pm EST, Tues, March 12th

Q. What happens at a Twitter Party?
A. @orbfactory will be hosting the party, so be sure to follow us for reminders and updates.  This is a great way for you to learn about all our new products and for us to hear lots of feedback from you!  We will ask several questions throughout the hour about how your children love to play, how you love to play and what you think of our newest products.  Answer using the hashtag #orbparty so we can see your answer.  We will randomly select a party guest to win a prize with each question we ask. 

Get Stuck on Sticky Mosaics®!

This Valentines Day, give a gift pack that will keep them creative and cavity-free!

Following a simple numbered legend, peel and stick glittering tiles and jewels to complete each kit. 

Want to win?   

Tell us how you celebrate Valentines Day with your children. 

This prize pack features Sticky Mosaics® Heart Box, Sticky Mosaics® Heart Tiara, SparkleUps® Cupcakes, and Sticky Mosaics® Dear Diary.

Contest closes Feb. 28^th

This contest is open to all US and Canadian residents over 18

Winner will be randomly selected from blog comments - so be sure to leave your email!

Prize includes one unit of each of the following:

Sticky Mosaics® Diary

Sticky Mosaics® Heart Box

SparkleUps® Cupcakes

Sticky Mosaics® Singles Heart Tiara 

.

Little Crafters

Encouraging preschool aged children to get creative is a great way to help them develop their fine motor and problem-solving skills.  It instills a sense of pride, fosters their innate curiosity, and is a whole lot of fun!

The Orb Factory has great crafts that are perfect for our preschool fans!

My First Creative Collage™

Visit our website to view our entire My First Creative Collage™ line

My First Creative Collage™ introduces fun new crafting materials to children aged 3+ and results in the perfect finished product every time. 

Each kit comes with three different Collages.  Choose which one you’d like to do first and open the template.  Peel off the special areas to reveal colorful sticky backing.  Match the pompoms, glitter, fun foam and more to the colors to create a fuzzy, sparkly, and squishy collage. 

Each template includes a hanger for easy display.

My First Sticky Mosaics®

My First Sticky Mosaics® are perfect for the creative preschooler

 Designed in the same fashion as our best-selling Sticky Mosaics® kits, My First Sticky Mosaics® are made especially for our youngest crafters.  Each kit comes with several different templates, but instead of following a numbered legend, children match colors and shapes to peel and stick oversized tiles.

Choose from adorable themes like Ponies, Princess, Pets, Team Rescue, and more! 

Room Décor

This craft becomes a beautiful piece of room decor

Let your little one decorate her bedroom with awesome accessories she’s made herself.  We have jewelry boxes and even a Princess Mirror that preschool ages children can decorate and then use for years to come.

Snow Day

 

There is nothing more exciting for a child than the waking up to fresh snowfall, except, perhaps, the radio announcing that schools are cancelled!  While children dream of snow forts and hot chocolate, parents are left to scramble for a babysitter or figure our work-from-home plans.

Here are four great activities to keep them occupied on a snow day:

1.     Make “Sugar on Snow”

This candy treat is sure to sweeten up any snow day.  You can find several variations of this recipe online, but here is a simple way to make this sugary taffy confection.

Ingredients:

8 ounces of pure maple syrup

1 saucepan of packed clean snow

Directions:

1.     Send the children outside with a saucepan to pack with clean snow.

2.     Carefully pour the maple syrup into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. 

3.     Keep syrup on a heavy simmer/light boil for 4 minutes.

4.     Pour a little syrup onto the packed snow – as long as it doesn’t run, it’s ready.

5.     As it hardens, break it apart to eat, or wrap it around a Popsicle stick or spoon.

2.     Make a Marshmallow and toothpick creation

Who knew a bag of mini-marshmallows and toothpicks could be so much fun!  This is a simple, yet highly educational, activity that will keep them occupied for quite a while.  Show them how to stick the toothpicks into the marshmallows to make a simple 3D square.  From there, they can create giant towers, spaceships, bridges, or just really interesting geometric shapes.

3.     Sock Puppet Theatre

I don’t know about you, but at our house the washing machine is always magically munching up socks, leaving some pairs kind of lonely.  Making puppets is the perfect way to use up mismatched socks.  Use buttons, markers, pipe cleaners, feathers, and anything else you may have lying around to create cute characters.  Best of all, after the craft is completed, kids can spend hours putting on their very own shows.

4.     Grab a Kit

The problem with snow days is that there’s not always an adult on hand to help out with crafts and activities.  Craft kits are the perfect solution.  Our kits include everything needed to complete the craft, so you won’t be running around searching for extra paint, markers, or tape.  They are mess-free and come with simple visual instructions that children can understand without adult help.

Try a Sticky Mosaics® kit on your next snow day!

.