If you’d like to spend quality time with your children over the summer school holidays by having lot’s of creative fun, as well as teaching them new skills, we have the perfect crafting ideas to help you on your way.

Over the past few years we’ve seen a revival in traditional crafts including knitting. Coats Crafts UK has a selection of knitting kits, books and products to take the frustration out of learning how to knit. Kids Learn to Knit by Lucinda Guy is a beautifully illustrated, easy to follow knitting book, featuring imaginative projects to keep kids interested.

Using the book as a starter, children could then progress to other projects such as a Patons Knit Kit, or using Prym’s accessories such as the Flower Loom and Knitting Dollies, they could even create their own inventions.

With their recently launched “Let’s Play” kit range, Anchor has the perfect solution for teaching your children new crafting techniques including stitching and crocheting. The kits have themes designed for both boys and girls with varied skill levels aimed at children between 4 and 12 - ensuring there's plenty to choose from for everyone.

In the Anchor Kit & Canvas Collection there are several great ideas for children of all ages. Anchor has recently launched a series of delightful patchwork soft toys that could be a great joint venture. The kits include everything you need in order to make either an elephant or owl soft toy with their finger puppet companions; you could tackle the soft toy whilst your child conquers the finger puppet. At the end of the project they join together and you both get a great sense of achievement. These accompany the already existing rag doll, dog, cat and rabbit soft toy kits.

Anchor offer a collection of “starters” kits, stitched on Binca fabric. With a wide choice of designs including themes based around dinosaurs, space, ponies and fairies, there’s sure to be something that appeals to your child’s taste. Techniques covered are cross stitch, tapestry, long stitch, chunky cross stitch and latch hook - with kits covering varying ability levels, your child can progress through the range.

Also aimed at the younger stitcher, Anchor’s Nice & Easy Freestyle kits, include “Tina Tortoise”, “Eva Elephant”, “Harold Hedgehog” and “Ruby the Robin”. All kits are stitched on outline printed sateen fabric using Anchor Multicolour stranded cotton. There overall impact and effectiveness makes them ideal for bedrooms.

For the older children of the family Anchor offers a huge collection of character kits including Disney, Me to You, Forever Friends and a new addition to the range Paper Nation. The kits dedicated to your favourite characters are available in a variety of stitching techniques and themes; including door hangers, cushions, bookmarks, rugs and picture canvases.

Perfect for the more grown up bedroom, the Anchor Living collection includes a fantastic set of vibrant contemporary embroidery panels, ideal for beginners. The designs are very modern and quick and simple to stitch.

And finally, appealing to the fashion conscious girl we have Stitch & Sparkle, a how-to stitching book from Charlotte Liddle that’s bright and lively, with 15 funky projects to enjoy, ranging from sparkly handbag decorations to cute little peg dolls.