Teaching children crafts: How do you do it?

Dear users, dear authors,
what’s the best way to go about teaching children how to do crafts?
Let me know.

A good question!
I still had needlework at school, where they simply taught us a few basic techniques in embroidery, sewing, knitting, and crochet. My youngest son didn’t have that anymore.
First of all, you have to spark their interest in all the lovely things they can make.
Start with simple and, above all, small things.
Potholders for Grandma or Mom as a gift are already a good incentive. The doll needs something new to wear, too; a scarf and hat are always good for starters.
- let the children try things out: knitting or crochet, which works better????
- When knitting, maybe first help them get their first successes with a knitting dolly, pom-pom maker, or knitting loom.
. nothing is more harmful than failures, 
- Handicrafts need successes so they don’t lose the fun; refined techniques will come all by themselves
- A nice grandma or aunt can be helpful
- and include the boys, too
- there are also very nice children’s books  that explain the techniques
( with some questions in the forum, I sometimes wish the women asking them would take a look at books like that or take a class to gain some basic knowledge first)

How did you all start?????

Heike

In my experience, you HAVE to have strong nerves and a lot of patience.

Since I don’t have either, I’m still looking for a strategy to teach my kids
how to crochet without it ending in disaster every single time.

;-)

I’d be interested to know at what age you can start learning to crochet (or knit).

My granddaughter is 4 years old and is very interested in crafts, but she doesn’t have much patience. Right now, we mainly sew small things together. (That goes fairly quickly, and with the new sewing machines, it’s not so easy to veer off course. For now, I’m still operating the foot pedal because otherwise she goes too fast.)

I think you shouldn’t expect too much at the beginning. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and a crooked seam isn’t such a big deal. We’re also skipping neatening the seams for now.

I think 4 years old and a sewing machine is a bit young, but if you’re managing, why not.
For crochet, I’d try finger crochet. 
The basic principle of crochet can be explained well with it, you get a quick result, and once she gets the hang of it, it might perhaps become a blanket for a doll.
With little fingers, the yarn doesn’t need to be that thick, the stitches won’t be so large, and that should work out fine.

I think the best starting point is when a child shows an interest in a particular technique on their own! At school, the third graders are currently learning to crochet. They started with foundation chains, which are used as the tentacles of a jellyfish. Using single crochet stitches and two colors (in stripes), they create a letter monster. They have fun with it, even if the results vary quite a bit! The teacher and I are there to help whenever needed and give as much praise as possible!
Very important for success: good materials—that is, a hook that fits comfortably in the hand and is the right size, and yarn that’s sufficiently twisted and, of course, in their favorite colors!

Our daughter became interested in crocheting and weaving when she was 9 or 10 years old. She can do single crochet and half double crochet, but she quickly lost interest. I noticed that it was harder to show her anything in the evening because she couldn’t concentrate then.
So: stay calm and be patient! 

First of all, you need a lot of patience and understanding.
And not every type of craft is suitable for every child—at least not to start with.

Here, kids are taught weaving as early as kindergarten. They make little bags and rugs. Everyone actually enjoys it, and they all participate enthusiastically.

My oldest son learned to crochet in elementary school. In fourth grade, he crocheted a homemade beanie. Everyone else made a pot holder, but he didn’t want to do that. For him, though, that was the end of it. He doesn’t want to crochet anything anymore; he’d rather have me do it....

My daughter doesn’t want to crochet with a hook. Now that she’s 8, she’s discovered finger crocheting. Before that, she spent ages making pom-poms. We even have a mini rug made of pom-poms at home.

Just keep offering to let the kids try it every now and then, and don’t get upset if they still can’t get it right even after you’ve explained it 10 times.
And I can definitely confirm that it’s almost impossible to do in the evening.