I’ve always wondered about the difference between arts and crafts. Often these two words are joined in one phrase but are actually different concepts. Cullen has posted a simple explanation of these two words on her YouTube channel.
Basically, kids crafts are more directed by the adults and aim at a specific project outcome. The goal is for the finished craft to look like the teachers example.
Children’s art projects are more kid directed and focus on the process. The goal is for the children to express an idea or emotion in the final outcome.
This is just a general distinction between arts & crafts, but it was new to me. I had always thought of the two as roughly synonymous. There is also a discussion of the terms arts and crafts on Wikipedia.
When it comes to children’s ministry, there is a continuum between arts and crafts. Many lesson plans call for simple crafts that can be completed in a short time span with little mess. But more involved Art projects often need more than one time period and can not be sent home immediately.
Sojourn Kids has done some good work integrating art to help children respond to the truth of the Gospel. This comes out in their Vacation Bible School which is called “Sojourn School of Word and Art.” Here is a video about the program.
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