Lovingly called the “happy pill” for the 21^st century, crafting, is what just might save your mind and body, these holidays!

Hurray for the summer holidays – the best time of the year with fun, frolic and sleeping-in!

NO? What are you saying?!

Okay, I know that sounded very idealistic. Summer holidays today, are full of snacking (why do they eat so much when it’s holiday time?!), summer camps, expenses (all that eating, you see), and to-and-fro drives (in primetime Bangalore traffic, yay!). It’s somewhat fun… well, at least until May when all the activity dries out (camp organizers, do you read me?).

For those of you NOT sending children to zorbing, zip lining and terrarium-building camps, you might find this useful. Here’s an old-fashioned idea to light that creative spark in your child’s head. It will require a little planning and some adult-supervision. You may also have to endure ‘I am bored’ yell-outs, but I assure you, kids who go to summer camps say this too.

One of the most awesome ways to develop focus, perseverance, planning skills and a creative mind, is to engage in a little crafting. Hear me out. How were grannies of old so smart and active with so few mental illnesses? They took time off worrying… and knitted or crocheted, of course! ‘Tis true.

I’m reading this morning on CNN, that when you start a creative activity, your whole attention is focused, and the rest of life stands suspended around you.  Problems are temporarily forgotten, stresses take a back seat and you get busy with hands, heart, and brain – the perfect combination to achieve something spectacular!

Ideally, you need to leave your child in a state of boredom for a period of time, and he/she will automatically get creative, but most of us can’t wait that long. So here’s a short cut. You will need to put in a bit of effort in the beginning, but once you unlock the imagination, your child will spin into worlds of creativity and pretty soon, you’ll have less whining and more  stationery lists of ‘things I need’. Or better still, he/she will start upcycling things around the house.

It is a delightful state, I promise. And just to back that up, research is now showing that crafting can affect us just as meditation does – same bliss. Yup.

You say – “Yes, please. Where do I begin?” Well, you can begin just where you are comfortable – your laptop or tab. Simply search for specifics – ‘craft ideas 5-year-old boy’ or even ‘craft for dummies’ – you are sure to find a ton of things. As soon as you have around three activities, resist the urge to go on looking; make a list of things you need and take your child along when you purchase them. They need to share every bit of the excitement.

When you get down and dirty, s(t)ay positive. Don’t ever say – “I’m so bad at this”, “this doesn’t even look like what it’s supposed to be”, “you are making a mess”, etc. Understand that it IS messy time. Learn together. This is a life lesson in the assembly.

Display craft prominently (however ugly!). On the positive side, encouragement will work wonders; he will only get better at it. Plus, the crafts will keep coming and you can pull down old pieces to make way for new ones quite quickly. Designate an area where things can be shown off. I have the inside of a bedroom door for this at my house – for the children’s viewing pleasure.

Crafting is like fire; it ignites, and then there is no stopping the blast off.  May you blaze a new trail this summer.  Unlike our hot weather, this one is a blessing.

This column was first published in the Bangalore Mirror on 4th April 2015