Time to get crafty!
Messy, Creative Fun with Crafty Angels
Turn on a kids’ TV channel, and you're regularly assaulted with ads for "must-have", "indispensable", "essential" toys and resources that are required to ensure that your child is adequately educated, entertained and developed.
Helen Bramhall, Creative Director of Crafty Angels, is on a mission to show families that we don't need to spend masses of money to get our children's minds and imaginations active, engaged and creative. She invited Miss Mini-Apprentice and me to her Wednesday Messy Brekkie session from 9.30–11 at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle to find out more about her social enterprise.
Exploring the Biscuit Factory
We arrived a few minutes early, so spent the time browsing the gallery. What a treat! Miss M-A agreed that these were things best just to look at, and not to touch, and we had a lovely few minutes wandering around, talking about what we saw.
Getting people into cultural venues they normally wouldn't visit is one of Crafty Angels’ aims, and they certainly succeeded with us. The Biscuit Factory is packed full of beautiful art, much of which has a local connection. There is a gloriously sunny and bright café upstairs, serving homemade treats and ice creams, and a fabulous shop full of quirky and interesting gifts. Prices are very reasonable. The café kindly offers 20% off on the day for Messy Brekkie visitors, so why not stay for lunch?
Natural, Creative Play
Arriving in the upstairs room, we were warmly welcomed and had a look around. Unlike many toddler groups, there was very little plastic in sight. The different stations around the room were filled with natural materials, inviting children to explore shape, texture, and smell while allowing imagination and creativity to guide them.
Our little girl settled down at a tray filled with leaves, cones, sticks and stones. The homemade play dough was scented with mint or cocoa, making it deliciously appealing. She got to work, developing gross motor skills and losing herself to creativity as she beavered happily away.
Painting, Rolling, and Mixing
She and I both really enjoyed the paints. By mixing glue, food colouring and shaving foam in icing bags, the resulting concoction was thick, gloopy, and smelled glorious. It was great fun to squeeze out, working hand muscles and problem-solving skills together. The homemade rollers then came into action, with children gleefully pushing, rolling, and experimenting.
If children learn through play, it's wonderful to give them opportunities to experiment with colours, textures, and movement, letting their brains work in many different ways simultaneously.
Sewing, Dens, and Imagination
The sewing table proved very popular. Using a huge bobbin as a table was a conversation point in itself. Armed with a variety of coloured and textured wool, scissors, and needles, children sewed simple cardboard patterns with great concentration. I found it very therapeutic and relaxing to join in, too.
The den in the corner and the tall cardboard tube/pompom run also appealed to the children's imagination and kept them busy. I, however, was more interested in the amazing snacks available! There was a fantastic range of healthy foods for children and adults—strawberries, blueberries, yoghurt, crackers, cream cheese.
Affordable, Accessible Fun
The class costs £6 per child, with sibling discounts available. During the summer holidays, the first session is only £3. For those who find the cost prohibitive, the social enterprise subsidises the cost by selling craft kits. These packs guide you through up-cycling and repurposing everyday objects and materials, making them great for home use or as birthday presents.
Helen wants the group to be open and welcoming to everyone, whatever their background or means.
A Happy Morning
We had a really happy morning at the Crafty Angels Messy Brekkie. Not only did we find lots of great ideas to try ourselves, we had the invaluable opportunity to interact with other children (and grown-ups), and experience a wide variety of activities. The point of these activities is that you can do them at home for very little money, but the advantage of attending is that children can move around and choose activities on a larger scale, and someone else gets to do the cleaning up!
Activities change weekly, so there are always new ideas and experiences.
More Local Fun
Do get in touch with Helen from Crafty Angels for more information or to book.
For other ways to keep children entertained in the North East, check out:
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