THE JOY OF PAPER CRAFTS

Children love paper crafts or origami as evidenced by how they are enamoured with their first paper airplane, paper hat, or paper boat. Moreover, while we might not always think about it, paper crafts surround us -- from envelopes, paper fans, and shirt folds to brochures and fancy napkins.

So, working with Hulo Kraft and Hulo Studio, Art Cafe, a concern of Bengal Express, held a paper craft workshop for children this June. Art Cafe holds many such events with the objective of providing young people a space for self-enrichment and nurturing their creative aptitudes while at the same time giving them a peek into the aspects of art and culture in our country. In this workshop, children learned how to make the 'Starry night sky,' a beautiful hanging decoration, from the versatile medium of paper.

It is a growing trend that parents will put their child in front of the television set or give them a tablet to keep them occupied to catch a break. "Everyone needs a break from time to time, but it is important to realise that television and electronic gadgets offer little in creative development. Paper crafting not only encourages children to be creative but also enhances their motor skills," says Arifa Rahman, a parent of one of the children at the workshop.

People of all ages from Hulo Craft and Hulo Studio served as instructors in this workshop. One of the youngest instructors was 12-year old Tahsin Rahman Khan. He says, "Creating things from paper gives me a sense of freedom. I get to have fun with my imagination and experiment in any way I want." 

Benefits from encouraging children to make paper crafts will help them throughout their lives. Tabassum Salma Islam, graphic designer at Hulo Studio and one of the organisers of the workshop explains, "Children learn how to follow directions as well as many problem-solving and social skills from paper crafting. They also earn the satisfaction of making something with their own hands and they are able to carry that confidence with them wherever they go." She further adds that paper crafting has been shown to improve focus, 3D perception and logical thinking. The organisers plan to hold a series of these workshops in the coming days.