Hammer crafts teach your kids to pound away at their work until everything is done! Use this hammer craft as part of a tools theme to teach them that not everything is a nail. Knowing about tools like hammers is important even if your kids will never actually use one because it helps people appreciate the work that others do. Make sure to play some vides about hammers and tools while your kids and making this hammer!
Skills
Types of skills can include math, fine motor, dramatic play, social and emotional. Here is how this craft applies these skills:
Math
Add in math concepts by having your child identify the colors and shapes they are using to decorate their hammer. Make it fun by having them draw different shapes and colors on the hammer. You’ll never know what they will come up with.
Science
Force! Talk about hammer can be used to apply STRONG force that people may not have. We use hammers to pound nails and screws into walls. It can also be used to pull nails or screws as well. Not only that, hammers are powerful tools.
Fine Motor Skills
Your child will learn how to use their pincer grasp to pick up and glue shapes to decorate the hammer. They can also use markers or crayons to make their hammer unique from others. Not just that, imagine them hammering away with those small hands of theirs.
Dramatic Play and Social/Emotional
Children can pretend to use their hammer items. They can also go around hammering around their environment, both indoors and outdoors. Just be careful they won’t be pounding you away!
Boundaries
Make sure you supervise your child when using scissors and other sharp items.
Materials
You will use white and a variety of colors of construction paper, crayons, markers, scissors, shapes, foams, and glue.
Any construction paper you like
Markers, scissors, and glue
Steps
Firstly, find a hammer template that you wish to use with your craft.
Next, trace the hammer template on white construction paper or any color you choose and cut it out.
Cut out different shapes (triangles, squares, circles, etc.) from the construction papers.
Have the child glue the foam shapes or paper shapes onto the hammer.
Then have the child decorate the hammer with crayons or markers.
Optionally, have your kids color the end of the hammer to identify the part used to hammer items versus the part for holding the hammer.
Finish off the craft by having your child decorate the hammer and make it “their” hammer.
Modifications
You can use paint, pre-cut shapes, stickers and anything you can think of to motivate your child to design their hammer.
Have fun, converse, and enjoy the time spent with your kids in talking about tools and forces!
Don’t Get Hammered!
Hammer, and tool, crafts like this one get your kids in the mood of fixing things. Make sure they don’t try to try to fix you! What are you going to hammer?