Why are Time Limits on Kids' Craft Activity Kits Avoided by Creativity for Kids® Development Team?
Over the years, we were asked to help set expectations about how long it will take to complete a Creativity for Kids® arts and crafts activity kit. Each time, our team sits down and talks it over – the pros and cons of labeling each product with an expected time to complete the project. Ultimately, our conclusion is always the same… We will not add time limit expectation labeling to our products. Below, our awesome Development Team tells you why.
“Learning new skills and exploring your creativity happen at a different pace for everyone. We want the creativity process to be as frustration-free as possible. Thus, we believe that adding a time recommendation might add an unnecessary constraint which would result in frustration for a child (and their parent(s)). Furthermore, it allows the individual to feel comfortable to take their time and explore their creativity without arbitrary restraints.” – Maria
“We all have different strengths, what may take one person five minutes might take someone else fifteen. We believe in creative experiences that encourage kids to explore. What’s amazing is that time often time seems to fly by in this state of creative wonder.” – Meredith
“As a developer, one of my main goals is to make whatever kit I develop as all-inclusive as possible. This includes all skill and ability levels. As a result, each person has a unique experience with the kit. This means completion time will vary. Thus, it is impossible to set time limit expectations.” – Sarah
“Every child works at their own pace and level. Some children like to work on an activity for a while then put it aside and go back to it later. In addition, some of our activities have unlimited play value after you complete the craft. Thus, it’s hard to measure the total time and play value for the activity. Furthermore, a recommended time limit might cause some kids undue stress if it takes them more time than is listed.” – Carolyn
“We offer a wide range of crafts and activities. Thus, we encourage children of all ages, skill levels and attention spans to enjoy our kits. Some children may be perfectly happy doing a little crafting, some may want to do more. Some children may complete the activity at one sitting while others may want to return to the activity again and again.” – Mary
Should time limits be included in the labeling of arts and crafts activity kits? Tell us what you think.