One thing kids don’t have a lot of is patience–especially when it comes to letting glue dry. They want things to stick RIGHT NOW!
Mitch loves crafting with glue and cardboard, and he’s pretty good at it. But most glues don’t dry fast enough for him. He’ll insist on using anything that seems faster, like tape and staples, even though these things don’t always hold as well.
When he was little, his go to adhesive was tape, so I always kept double stick tape stocked for him. But tape doesn’t always stick to construction paper or cardboard so well. Your best is glue stick or tacky glue for a stong bond that dries fast.
Fastest Glue for Kid Crafters
There's dozens of tapes and glues...which ones are fast enough for YOUR kid?
(The following are not affiliate links, just places to find great glues & tape!)
The classic school glue stick is still the best -- it goes on thick allowing it to grab on to crafts, but it's so wet that things slide around. Bonus: it's washable! Works on paper, cardboard and foam. Brand doesn't matter so much, Target glue works as good as Elmer's!
Ah, good ol' double sticky tape! This is good for smooth paper and photos, not so great for anything else.
Tacky Glue is super thick and dries quickly. It's my favorite for gluing popsicle stick crafts. Works on most surfaces. Washes with soap and water while wet, so clean up immediately.
Rubber cement is the go to adhesive for photos because it's acid free and won't cause paper to wrinkle. It's applied a with a brush and extra bits of glue can be rubbed off the paper without damage. (If you've never made a rubber cement ball you're really missing out.) Not the strongest bond, but works well for paper crafts.
Kids LOVE glue dots, they're like DIY stickers. These stick to everything: paper, wood, foam, glass, fabric and metal! (But they're not washable.) They also come in removable and permanent versions and different sizes. Best of all, you can't spill a glue dot!