Nothing seems to bring together friends like crafts. At least this is true for my tween and her buddies.
When my 11-year-old brought her new Klutz Nail Art book to the pool this weekend, it was like she won the friendship lottery.
Don't get me wrong—the girls were having a blast at the pool's opening weekend, swimming, chatting, snacking, and playing. But when the adult swim whistle rang and Maddy asked who wanted to do nails, the girls literally jumped in the air.
The cool thing about this crafty nail art book is that it's not a quick "glance and paint" book; rather, in order to really create the nail designs properly, artists must follow the steps. And the steps are clearly outlined with easy-to-digest text and photos to accompany it.
So they read and paint. Read a little more and paint a little more. Read a tiny bit more and paint a tiny bit more. And then voila! In the end, they have sweet little fruity designs, animal designs, doodle designs—whatever they choose.
It's the perfect combination of reading and learning for an afternoon of poolside fun!
Really, though, the paints themselves were perfect for an impromptu poolside spa. Because the paints are "peel paints," meaning that there's no nail polish remover needed once kids tire of their designs. With one quick peel, the polish is gone. Cool, right?
The girls noted that this kind of paint wouldn't be great if a long-term manicure is what someone was seeking, but for a quick adult swim design, it worked perfectly! And when the paint bottles tip over, there's not even a spill since the paint is so tacky. Really a neat concept.
And though the girls were oooohing and aaaaahing over their designs, the parents were just happy to see their kids playing so nicely, cooperating, helping each other, and doing some reading along the way.
Take a look at some of the girls' finished masterpieces:
Check out these other cool and crafty titles from Klutz that your kids (and their friends!) are sure to love:
What ways do you sneak in some reading while your kids are at the pool? Share your thoughts with us on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page, or find Amy on Twitter, @teachmama, and let's continue the conversation!
Read all posts by Amy Mascott.
fyi: Amy Mascott was given the Klutz Nail Art book to read and try with her children. It was a hit. All opinions belong solely to Amy Mascott and are influenced only by her experience as a parent and educator and her little nail artists and their friends.
