Are the DIY mosaic tile kits suitable for kids craft projects?

Ideas for helping the kids craft their own tile mosaic masterpiece!

When you see your kid's eyes light up at the thought of using these colourful tiles in a craft project - smashing the tiles into bits, & glueing them back together - you might not have much of a choice!

Kids absolutely love mosaic! We've worked with children down to 4 both in the studio & in a school environment, and whilst there are a few limitations, enthusiasm well & truly overrides lack of skills!

Provided the safety instructions are followed, and the step-by-step kit instructions are read & followed closely, teenage kids & upwards should have no problem completing the entire craft kits from start to finish.

The ceramic mosaic tiles can be sharp, so safetly glasses are a must and the dust from the cement products shouldn't be inhaled so a dust mask is also essential.

Here are some ideas for using these craft kits with younger children:-

Ages 10-13 - Some loose supervision is recommended, but most of the steps are possible for a child with reasonable ability. Using the tile nippers is likely to be the main stumbling block, and they might need some help. You may have to help them with the edge & putting hangers on the back of the piece.

Ages 7-10 - Not many kids in this age bracket will be able to handle tile nippers, and they're likely to make a mess with the glue & grout. I'd recommend an adult to prepare the glue & grout, some supervision & possibly help with grouting, and if tile cuts are a necessity adults to complete the cuts. If your child doesn't have the attention span to work on the project over a day or two, read our reccomendations for the 4-7 year olds.

Ages 4-7 - It's wonderful to watch children in this age bracket attack the project, but realistically they're going to need a lot of help. I'd recommend you work with them on the entire project (letting them complete the bits they want).

Another idea would be to abandon the idea of fabricating the mosaic properly - just let them smash the tiles into bits and lay them on a backing board without glue. This way they can create different designs over & over again. If they want to create something more permanent, just buy a craft glue & stick the tiles down with that and forget about grouting.

If you have any doubts about whether your kids will be interested in mosaics as a craft project, please read this article about grade 3 students (7-8 y.o's) who completed a mosaic mural as an arts & crafts project for their school.