Field Report: Kids' Crafternoons at A.C. Moore

While I’ll openly admit that I’m more of a “store-bought mom" than a “DIY mom," I love fostering my 4-year-old daughter, Hannah's, creativity and love for all things arts and crafts. When I learned about A.C. Moore's $2 Kids' Crafternoon program, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get out of the house and the summer heat, and give Hannah a fun project that I didn’t have to plan or clean up after!

When I looked up the schedule, I was so excited to see that the next project was for (wait for it…) Shrinky Dinks! I had no idea those were even still around! I LOVED them as a kid and couldn’t wait for Hannah to experience the magic and wonder of watching her own handiwork inexplicably transform into a tiny, glass-like masterpiece. (SPOILER ALERT: It’s just as cool for a 40-year-old as it is for a 4-year-old!)

We met up with some friends at A.C. Moore, went to the register to pay our $2 per child fee (such a great deal!), and were given a receipt to take to the classroom in the back of the store. Each child was given their own “kit” and seated at large tables with plenty of room to work. The kit included four Shrinky Dink key chains with cute summer-themed designs to color and four different colored key rings to put on once completed. There was also a detailed instruction sheet, so we really didn’t need any instruction/guidance from the staff. However, the A.C. Moore team was incredibly helpful and friendly and kept checking in with us, and also made sure there were plenty of colored pencils to go around. 

The project took about 20 minutes from start to finish – the perfect amount of time to keep the attention of a 2, 4, and 5 year-old. There were a few families lined up waiting to get into the classroom, but things moved along quickly enough so that no one had to wait more than 5 minutes to start their project.

The positive and negative of the Shrinky Dink project was that the kids didn't leave the store with their “finished” product. While they had a ton of fun coloring their creations, it was a difficult concept for them to understand what the end result would be. On the other hand, it was super fun to have something else to look forward to, and to build up the anticipation of “baking” our artwork once we got home.

We didn't have time to bake our Shrinky Dinks until the next day, but it was well worth the wait! I made sure to use our toaster oven so we could watch the whole process through the glass door. To prolong the fun, we baked them in more than one “batch” and were able to get some great time-lapse videos of the process (something we definitely didn’t have in the 80’s!).

This is a fantastic program and extremely affordable experience that A.C. Moore is providing families this summer. It helps break up the monotony of spending all day, every day at the pool, and it's a great option to combat the dreaded summertime “I’m bored” complaint for any kids or families spending extended time at home this summer. 

The Kids’ Crafternoon program (designed for ages 5-12) runs through August 1st at select A.C. Moore locations every Wednesday from 1- 3 p.m. They feature a different project every week for only $2 per child! 

This post is sponsored by A.C. Moore. However, we only promote businesses that we genuinely believe in and think will appeal to CertifiKID subscribers.

Tags: A.C. Moore Kids' Crafternoons Arts and Crafts Summer Projects

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