There can be little more satisfying, stimulating or educational for kids and their parents - or grandparents - than creative crafts.

Parents and their kids learn whilst playing, importantly whilst playing together. Minds are expanded and tested (and not just the childrens'). Physical skills like manual dexterity are improved - far more so than by inserting batteries in some walking-talking dinosaur or grappling with the controls on a video game.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against technology (he said whilst typing at his computer). The PC is a great learning tool if used properly. Every home should have one. Sadly however, it's the box in the corner and the latest must-have-but-bored-in-a-week video title. Sit them in front of the TV with "Crash and Burn Fast Deadly Kill III" and they're occupied and out of harms way.

A shame when creative craft activities can be so easy to start - and, incidentally, are a tiny fraction of the price. There are myriad crafts you can do for next to nothing using things you probably have lying around the house right now. Easy things that don't take very long to get started but can amuse your kids for ages. OK, you might need to buy a few things but we're talking pennies here for things like paint and glue, not large amounts.

Let's look at a few ideas to kick off the creative process. I'm sure, as you read through you'll think of more yourself to add to and expand these simple crafts. Before we start though, the usual note of caution: Some of these craft ideas require the use of scissors. I probably don't need to tell you but just for safety's sake, you should always keep sharp and small objects out of reach of children and never let your children use scissors - even those little round-nosed ones - unless an adult is supervising. If you're painting, acrylic paints are very child friendly but always read the label to be sure. Never use house paints.

Right, let's get started. Do you have any paper plates around the house? Perhaps left over from a party? Cut a few holes for eyes and mouth and decorate with pens and paints to create masks. A couple of small holes at the right and left hand edges and you can use elastic or string to hold them on. You can cut shapes out of card or paper and glue them on to the plate to add a hat or a beard - or whatever you can think of.

Paper and card are great sources of crafts for kids. You can make cards for birthdays or other festivals just with paint and pens - or you can cut pictures out of old magazines or newspapers to make a collage. You can decorate a box with cut out pictures in the same way - or start a scrapbook. Maybe your kid is into horses, or cats, or whatever. If you feel they are not old enough to cut the pictures out then you do it for them and let them paste the pictures on.

Then there's papier mach� - a craft that's been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. Basically this is just small strips of paper and glue (I've always used wallpaper paste but check to make sure it's safe, for a while some contained fungicides which weren't child-friendly). Flour and water paste is another alternative. We haven't got space to go into detail here but there are plenty of resources around the web for how to do it if you're not sure. It's an absorbing craft for kids and parents alike and a truly creative process. I used to love making money boxes: Blow up a balloon and cover with a few layes of papier mach�. When it's dry, use a pin to burst the baloon. Then cut a slot for the money to go in and cut up an egg-box for feet and a nose. Stick on a couple of paper ears and paint the whoe thing - hours of fun on a rainy day - for pennies.Also look into decoupage - another craft that's really just paper and glue.

The list could go on and on - and so far we've only used paper and card.

I know it's not always easy to find the time - or the patience - but think of the gift you'll be giving your children. It's fun, educational and helps develop life skills. Every once in a while you might discover an abiding hobby, or even something that grows into a career. I know few people who are happier and better adjusted than the craftspeople I come into contact with.

Bob Beacham is well known in the craft community. He is owner of Intarsia Designs.com, is co-author of The Complete Intarsia Manual and runs a blog at Kids Crafts.