Creating something with your hands can be one of the most satisfying things you do. Whether it’s a handmade card or a piece of jewelry, you have used your creativity to bring something into existence and this is a wonderful feeling that can boost self-esteem. It’s also a great way to express your emotions and give someone a unique gift that they will treasure forever.

There are many different types of making – art, cooking, sewing and so on. All of these can help us to learn new skills and gain a sense of achievement from learning them. Crafting in particular is known to help people reach the state of flow, often referred to as being ‘in the zone’. This is where worries about the future and past events can be put aside as a person is fully engaged in their hobby. It’s a good idea to try and get children to engage in hobbies that will encourage this.

If a child is interested in a topic that can be linked to other subjects, it’s important to try and get them to participate in activities such as drawing, painting or sculpting. This will help them to develop their skills and also to feel a sense of achievement when they create something that they can show off to others. It can be a positive self-esteem booster for all involved, particularly when the creation is then given to a friend or family member.

The verbs invent, build and construct are all related to the act of making but have slightly different meanings. Invent means to create something that hasn’t previously existed, such as the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Building is the process of putting together parts to create a structure, such as a house or a car. Constructing is the same as building, but it can also refer to an activity that requires a lot of skill and time, such as a jigsaw puzzle or a model castle.

Making is a very broad word and it’s possible that some schools will use the term to refer to various types of arts activities such as drawing, painting or sculpting. However, it’s more likely that it will be used in reference to the process of creating a product or service that is popular with customers. This is a big challenge for businesses and can take a lot of hard work, dedication and luck to achieve.

It is important for schools to try and include as much art and crafting as they can in their teaching programme. The benefits of this are numerous, not least that it can be very fun and engaging for the students, but it can also be a very valuable source of knowledge and information about a variety of topics such as history, science or religious beliefs. It’s also very easy to link art in with topics being covered in other subjects such as a Stone Age project or designing an eco-friendly garden using recycled materials.