Art and Crafts Club in Lockdown

If we are completely honest, lockdown was not always easy. Lockdown brought with it a new way of how I could do my role. When things were “normal,” I would be out most days with our young people or at training sessions with our carers and would only work from home to complete my reports and other admin so I had to get creative. It just so happens that getting creative is something I enjoy doing. I decided that it would be fun to hold a zoom Arts and Crafts Club for our young people. I was not sure how it was going to work but I knew it was going to be fun and uplifting. 

I wanted to do a craft with the young people which did not exclude anyone for lack of materials. What do we all do and have at our disposal, literally? Recycling! I asked our young people to raid their recycling bins and collect different items that can be used to create…drum roll please, A ROBOT! The only other items I asked from the children was scissors, glue, and pens to decorate their robots. 

With our recycling, scissors, and glue at the ready, we embarked on Affinity Fostering’s first ever video Arts and Crafts Club. We had a turnout of eight young people who all showed us how creative their minds are. I started off by showing some basic ideas. I used a cardboard box and demonstrated with a toilet roll how to make arms and legs by cutting slits into one end of the tube and bending them outwards to then stick them flat to the box. Some of the young people used this technique and others did their own thing. Both was exciting to see! Some of our young people even created two robots! 

Whilst we were creating our robots, I would ask the young people to show me their robots’ mid production and would suggest ideas. One of our young people made two robots and I suggested he make a jet pack out of a clear bottle and attach handles to it so he can wear it on his back. The young person put paper in it to look like fire and flew around demonstrating his new jet pack creation. It was such a boost to see our young people creating and enjoying themselves. This is the biggest joy of my role. I get to do what I love whilst making our young people happy. That is what it’s all about at the end of the day isn’t it? Being happy!