How to Structure a Craft Class: The 60-Minute Formula That Works
- Mar 29
- 1 min read
Design the project to fit the clock. Not the other way around.
A 60-minute class goes faster than you think.
I know this because I designed too many projects that were 75-minute ideas squeezed into 60-minute slots. You end up rushing the end, skipping the cleanup, running over into the next group's time, and arriving at the next class already behind.
The fix is planning backward. Here's the formula that actually works:
How to Structure a Craft Class:
10 minutes — Rules and project intro
Not optional. Set the expectations before a single supply hits the table. Students who know what they're making and how the session works are calmer, more focused, and more productive.
10 minutes — Thinking time
This one surprises people. "Why do we need thinking time? Let's just start making." Here's why: people — kids especially — need to sit with an idea before they execute it. Skipping this creates chaos later when someone completely changes their mind mid-project.
30 minutes — Creating
The heart of it. Protect this time. Don't let the intro bleed into it. Don't let questions eat it. This is what people came for.
10 minutes — Clean up
Non-negotiable. Especially if you have back-to-back classes. Especially with K-3 students. Build this into the plan before the day starts, not as an afterthought when you realize you're out of time.
The broader principle: simpler projects, clearly executed, beat ambitious projects in chaos every time.
The student who finishes something clean and beautiful in 60 minutes goes home feeling accomplished. The student who has a half-finished complicated project goes home frustrated. Give them something finishable. It's a gift.
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