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Toddlers: 24 Months+
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Arts/crafts for toddlers

brightningbrightning member
in Toddlers: 24 Months+

I'm wondering what you do for art projects with your toddler. I've bought several art books but haven't done much because we've been in the middle of moving. I also think it'd be nice if she could make something that I could give out as Christmas gifts/cards. So far we have tried:

Crayons - she seems to like them

Finger paint - my clean little princess didn't like getting the paint on her fingers, and definitely did not like the taste

Playdoh - she does like squishing it, wearing it as a bracelet and taking the occasional lick

Stickers - she didn't understand this concept at all

One project that I'd like to try soon is something that I read in one of the art books. It said you can roll up strips of crepe paper and tape them. Then you dip them into water and paint on paper. The crepe paper will bleed and you get paint-free painting with relatively low mess. Obviously, you have to buy "bleed-free" crepe paper. It seems like a do-able project.

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Re: Arts/crafts for toddlers

  • Shelly203Shelly203
    DS really like the paint with water books.  I'm not even sure if that's really what they are called.  You know the ones with the little brush and you dip it in water and when they put it on the page, the color appears?  He thinks it's really cool how all of a sudden there is color.  Other than that, we pretty much do all the same stuff that you have tried.  I have bought a ton of art books too, but all the stuff in them is for much older kids.   
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  • june10-06june10-06 member
    Our daycare did a cool craft where they went out and collected leaves and then got the sticky contact paper and stuck the leaves on the paper. My ds was more interested in taking the leaves on and off, but he had fun with it. Other stuff like coloring or painting will only keep ds's attention for a second.
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  • MrsAmersMrsAmers

    She might like painting with brushes instead of finger paint.

    Also, our daycare does lots of glueing projects.  Glueing paper, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, popsicle sticks, etc to construction paper.

    They made turtles - DD painted on a paper plate (the shell) and the teachers stapled the head and four legs to the plate.

    You could let her put glue on paper and then you could put glitter on the glue.
     

    Heather Margaret --- Feb '07 and Todd Eldon --- April '09
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  • Baby4OTBaby4OT member

    Try applying paint with other mediums since she doesn't like finger painting: paint with big brushes, q-tips, sponges, potatoes (like potato stamps), get a shallow box and tape paper to the bottom and put some globs of paint on the paper - then roll small balls from side to side in the box to track the paint around the paper

    Or try fingerpainting with other materials (edible ones since she seems to like to lick stuff!) - "paint" with pudding, ketsup, etc

    Google homemade playdough - there are some edible recipes out there. Hide small toys in the play dough and then help her look for them.

    My DD also loves that paint with water books that pp mentioned

    When I used to work in the toddler room at daycare we did a lot of stuff with clear contact paper - stuck leaves on it, let the kids rip up tissue paper and stick pieces on tissue paper to it, sprinkle with glitter, anything really - then cover with another piece of contact paper so the two sticky sides stick together and hang it in the window

    When I was a kid I remember that our neighbor would give all of us paint brushes and a bucket of water and we'd "paint" the driveway or garage walls for hours... may be more of a warm weather thing, but definitely easy clean-up!

    My DD loves sidewalk chalk!

    Make collages. DD and I look through magazines to find pictures (either things that are a certain color, all animals, all babies, whatever she's interested in). I cut the picture out and then together we squeeze glue on and put it on paper. She loves the finished product!

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  • PrincipesaPrincipesa

    My favorite craft and DS too...is to get some finger paint...we bought this crayola pack I think it comes with 8 colors. 

    Anyway...I take 3-4 colors and put each on a different paper plate....spread the paint so it covers a large area of the plate. 

    Give your toddler a piece of paper/construction paper. 

    Then give him/her some cars, tractors, trains (look for vehicles with different types of wheels...some are smooth, some have ridges).

    Show them how to roll the vehicle in the paint and then roll the vehicle on the paper.  It's a fun and easy way for them to paint. =)

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  • roseroseroseroseroseroseroseroseroserose member

    There is a really great blog by the mom of a 15 mo old. 

    www.notimeforflashcards.com

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