One of the kindest and most genuine people I know, Meghan, started an amazing business a couple of years ago- Craft and Boogie. The idea is simple- selling craft kits for families to do together- but the impact has been huge. For each craft kit purchased, Meghan donates a kit to children in foster care or agencies working with disadvantaged youth.
The kits themselves are adorable. They include everything you need- from the special supplies to basics such as scissors and glue- so you can get started and successfully complete your project as soon as you open the box. The crafts are very cute and children are able to do a lot of it independently. The kits are a great way for kids to have fun, feel proud of their work, for you to make memories with your children, and support children in our communities.
Chicken and Nugget have done a variety of kits. They particularly loved a 4th of July kit that used a toilet paper tube, a balloon, and decorative shredded paper (we used rice I colored with food coloring when we ran out) to create a fun confetti popper. We also tried out the airplane busy kit, which kept them engaged for quite a while on a past flight. It contains several easter eggs with games, toys, or play ideas for children to open up and try out. It’s been almost a year and they still fill up the easter eggs with ‘surprises’ for each other. There are kits themed for holidays, birthdays, and events such as flights, weddings, camping, etc.
Another amazing aspect of Craft and Boogie is the involvement of the community in the business. Meghan hosts incredibly fun events around the Portland area for kids and their families, complete with themed snacks and crafts.
She also invites others to help support her cause. She hosts periodic packing parties to fill kits that will be donated. Chicken’s Girl Scout troop volunteered earlier this year and the girls had a fantastic time. Some of the girls even said it was their favorite thing we did as a troop this year. Meghan made sure there were jobs that girls at each level could do successfully.
Earlier this week, I took Chicken and Nugget to another packing party. This time the kits were to be donated to a local children’s hospital. Meghan had a kids table set up for not only Chicken and Nugget, but other young children there as well. She again did a great job providing them with developmentally appropriate tasks that were still useful and productive. Adults worked to complete the rest of the tasks and we formed quite the assembly line to get all the kits filled! Music played, snacks were eaten, crepe paper was rolled, papers were collated, and a good time was had by all. While I would like to say that Chicken and Nugget were dedicated volunteers who awed and amazed all present with their incredible focus and work ethic, the truth is the completed a round or two of tasks and then took off playing with their friends. And that was ok.
Craft and Boogie continues to grow, which means not only are families getting to do fun crafts together, but local children are learning that they are remembered and people care about them. If that’s not a win-win, I don’t know what is!
You can find information about purchasing the kits, ways to get involved, and upcoming events here: https://craftandboogie.com
Adventures with Chicken and Nugget 