A summer craft challenge that will get your kid thinking out of the box and onto the bag

Aquebogue crafting and events studio, Crafts on the Move, has launched an interactive and creative youth crafting challenge that encourages children to think creatively while exploring the joys of paper arts.

We got to chat with Crafts on the Move owner Andrea Bisignani and learn more about this free summer challenge. 

“The challenge was developed to inspire young minds to creatively think outside of the ‘bag’ from the comfort of their own space and with the intention of allowing the children to create meaningful memories as they make their projects,” Andrea told us.  

For this challenge, kids and teens ages 6 through 14 are invited to participate in a crafting adventure where they are given a lunch-sized paper bag filled with paper goods and decorations. Participants will then free-range decorate their bags however they’d like using the given materials plus any other craft supplies they choose. Completed bags are to be returned to the studio by Saturday, August 10.

Then, on Saturday, August 24, bags will be on display to view at Craft on the Move’s Open House which is scheduled for 11 a.m. and open to all including challenge participants and their families and friends, hobby and seasoned crafters, and folks who are interested to learn more about what Crafts on the Move offers. 

“The open house will be a fun and relaxed social event to discuss arts and crafts between the participants, seasoned crafters, and parents,” shared Andrea. “Each ‘bag’ will be accompanied by a table card to include the participant's name and hopefully a little back story on their project.  I will also have Compliment Cards available for all attendees to fill out for the participants.”

Although called a “challenge” there is no contest or voting element to the project. Instead, the challenge becomes a personal experience for each participant creatively pushing boundaries and artistic ideas.

“The idea is to explore crafting with curiosity and to think beyond a brown paper bag,” Andrea said. “As adults, we sometimes get stuck and limit our creativity, but children view things from a different lens allowing them to be more adventurous, and I am hopeful, they will design projects that they can be proud of while teaching some seasoned crafters a different way of looking at how paper supplies can be manipulated.”

Andrea plans to repeat the crafting challenge seasonally to inspire young crafters to continue engaging in paper arts. 

The summer craft challenge is limited to 15 participants on a first-come, first-served basis with registration open through June 26. There are no fees to participate in the crafting challenge, however, committing to and adhering to challenge rules is strongly suggested. Sign up here to reserve your child’s spot.

Happy crafting!