Customer Reviews

365 Things to Make and Do (Usborne Activities)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Potential buyers should know that this book doesn't really have 365 distinct craft techniques. There are actually only 64 different techniques/ideas, and the various specific derivations thereof are what make up the "365". For example - in the Butterfly Garden Collage; the basic butterfly, perching butterfly, dragonfly, bug, flowers, and bee all count toward the "things", even though they are all part of the whole craft.

That being said, this is still a pretty cool book. There are a variety of styles, ideas, and themes; all very distinct from the craft books I've seen before. These ideas are fresh and new, and fun. I'd say most of them are for older children, at least 6 or 7 years old. But there are some that my preschooler will probably be able to do on his own, and several he could do with help. They all use very basic supplies, and have the potential for much creative interpretation. So, despite the sketchy advertising, I still think this book will be good to have.

This publisher always puts out high quality books and this is no exception. My 5 and 9 y.o. eagerly started projects. It made for a great Family Craft Night. You do need to have more than the basic crayons and markers and papers to really enjoy this book. Keep a stash of yarn, pipe cleaners, scrapbook paper too.
Highly recommend adding this book so you can always be fresh with ideas of making family time special.

If you want to get your children's creative juices flowing, this will help. This book is packed with so many easy to follow ideas and projects. It has step by step instructions with pictures for each step. Just by following the pictures a child will find success with every step. It is beautiful, colorful and easy enough for pre-schoolers. This is one that all elementary schools should own. I highly recommend it.

This is a great book for resources. I teach Textiles to secondary school and if I need to write a cover lesson for another teacher, then I grab this and 50-100 minutes is amply covered and keeps the children busy and focused. I love this book, you can adapt the projects to suit age groups, but I find it works best with KS3 (11-14 year olds). The girls love the tissue paper projects,banners etc and the boys love the finger paintings and space projects.
Beautifully coloured and easy to photocopy due to the ringbinding.

I'm an art teacher by trade, but now staying home with my two boys under 4 years old. I recently discovered Usborne books and am so pleased with many of their titles. Even art teachers need some inspiration and this book is packed full of ideas that are great for older children (middle school included) and can even be adapted for preschoolers. I'm also an illustrator, so there are some activities that I've tried on my own, just to get the creative juices flowing!

Highly recommend this title. Please be aware that there are not 365 individual pages of projects...each 'theme' or 'project' may have several things to make within the theme on that page.

This book is very high quality, hardcover and spiral-bound for easy referral during the art making process. I love that it lays open so I don't have to flip through pages with messy hands. It has a modern look and includes more than your typical paper plate-type preschool craft books. Enjoy!

I love Usborne Activity Books! This is a really great ones. Packed full of ideas and things to make. There's just something about these series that makes a craft idea look rich, and well-done.

The pictures are wonderful and clear and easy to follow along-- though not as "step-by-step" as I'd like it to be...

Keep in mind also that you will have to make your own templates for many of the projects. And you may need to purchase lots of supplies. You could always improvise though, and use the book as a guide or jumping off point for your own projects.

This book is so full of ideas. I am going to be teaching an after school art class and will be using projects from this book. I think it's a little advanced for preschoolers, but that's just me. I like "Arts & Crafts Busy Book : 365 Activities" by Trish Kuffner, it has great ideas for that age level. I originally purchased this from Amazon thinking that my kids would like to do some things in it (which they do), but I have to say that I have been having a lot of fun. As a previous reviewer said... it makes for a wonderful art journal. I really like the author Fiona Watt, she is very creative. I found this book by searching her name. She has some wonderful books. Try searching her name (it's more direct to search: "art by fiona watt"), and you will see... happy creating!

This book is actually part of my preschooler's home school curriculum. It is such a fun book! There are so many things to make. It can really keep you busy. The art ideas are really, really cute. If you need a crafty/art book for young children, this is a great one to add to your library. There honestly isn't one project that isn't cute and clever. And I have a background in art, so I am very snobby when it comes to craft/art books.

This book has so many great ideas that you can do together with your children, or alone as a part of an art journal (or scrapbook). The instructions are clear and well-written. There are so many great ideas in here that could be used a child's party or as a part of a unit in a primary (heck even intermediate) classroom. This book is a must have for your art library. I would love to see someone actually complete a project a day from the book and create a blog about it. Maybe you could do that with your son or daughter? Think of the great memories!

Really cute ideas that are easy for a school-aged child to do on his/her own. My daughter carries this book around with her! Loved it!