7 year old who likes nothing but craft...

[Prulie]

I'm new to childminding but will have a schoolie 3 days with his brother who I've been nannying for for last 4 months. Little one has great imagination so is really easy. 7 year old wants one craft project after another. At home his mother buys an endless supply of craft kits. I can't do that when they start at my house and I'm worried how to entertain him. Any ideas? He isn't creative (doesn't like drawing, painting, modelling clay, etc) and just likes following instructions, preferably 1-2-1 with me, which also won't work when I have more kids.

[phoenix2010]

If he likes following instructions , how about meccanno , lego , that sort of thing

theres endless types of construction toys (straws,gears,octagons ) and you can search for instructions online on how to build specific things if he lacks the imagination to do it him self , by making these resources available he might also veer off the instructions and start trying his own creations too

I use my local toy library for things like this , as I find it expensive to buy and also takes up alot of room , could you find a library or start an exchange with local minders

[blue bear]

Good idea about following instructions in other areas, use his skill to help you, so write up some instructions how to make play dough or glupe, thus getting him to make it for the other children to free play.
Collect together recyclable items and talk about what you could make with them, then together make Instruction booklets,so things like sock puppets, space rockets from boxes and tin foil. Mothers day cards (draw a tea pot as a template which children decorate and staple a tea bag Inside)
While you only have these two you can get together alsorts of instruction booklets for all different events and him being the expert as most seven year olds think they are can pass on his knowledge to any new children starting which will help him mix and need less one to one from you.

[MessybutHappy]

Would he do colouring by numbers? One book won't cost the earth! My dd was given one that came with pens and when finished, the picture becomes a stained glass window display.