7 Toddlers’ Art And Craft Ideas
7 Toddlers’ Art And Craft Ideas
If you’re a parent, you know that the best way to get your little one to engage is through art, craft, and sensory activities.
But coming up with ideas can be hard! Especially if you don’t have all the supplies on hand.
Luckily, we’ve got some awesome ideas for toddler art and craft activities that will keep them engaged – and learning – for hours!
Play Dough.
Play dough is one of the best art and craft activities for toddlers.
There are so many different things you can do with play dough! It’s great for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and it’s also fun to squish, roll, mold, or press into different shapes.
Here’s how to make some super simple play dough that won’t dry out as fast as store-bought brands.
1 cup flour
1 cup water (warm)
2 tablespoons oil (vegetable/olive)
Food coloring or liquid watercolors (optional)
Finger Painting.
Finger painting is a great way to help your toddler develop their fine motor skills. You can use finger paint, paint brushes, or paint rollers.
Finger painting is fun and messy, which is why toddlers love it so much! Your little one will love the feeling of the paint on their fingers.
If you want to make sure that your child uses their hands instead of wasting paper with this project, try using a large piece of cardboard instead of paper and have them draw designs with markers or crayons instead of using actual paints.
Colorful Creations.
Paint. It’s a great way to introduce toddlers to art and craft. You can use so many different types of paint, but try to stick with water-based paints for this age.
Brush type is also important! Try brushes that are short and soft, or thick and wide. They should be easy for your toddler to handle but not so large that they become cumbersome (and potentially dangerous).
The texture is another important aspect—you might want to look at different types of paper as well as what types of textures would be appropriate for your child. They’re probably going to have more interest in some textures than others, so this may take some experimenting!
Homemade Stamps.
You could make homemade stamps with play dough, cookie cutters, and craft foam. You can use the stamps to make art or just have fun using them as a plaything.
Here are some ideas for stamps:
- A flower stamp that has petals of different sizes
- A starfish with different colored arms and legs
- A child’s handprint in a rainbow of colors
Edible Art.
Use cookie cutters to create shapes. Use a pastry brush to paint with icing, or spread jam on bread or rolls, and then use them as stencils for your kids to make their own designs.
Fill up a container with pureed fruit, vegetables or other foods for the kids to use as paint (and eat afterward!). You could try pureeing canned fruit in an ice cube tray, then freezing them before painting with them – this would make it easier for the children’s smaller hands too!
Create your own edible artwork with these ideas: pizza slice art (pizza slices), sandwich art projects (sandwich wraps), spaghetti weaving patterns (spaghetti strands), pasta sculptures (pasta noodles), and ice cream cone frosting decorations are all fantastic ideas that can start off creative conversations between parents/parents-to-be as well as being fun activities for your children!
Shaving Cream Art.
Shaving cream is a great medium to use with toddlers. It’s messy, and that’s what makes it so fun! You can incorporate shaving cream into your art and craft activities in different ways throughout the year.
Shaving Cream Art: This is one of my favorite toddler art activities because it’s easy, versatile, and fun! I love how easy it is for kids to manipulate shaving cream on their own without being frustrated by paint brushes or markers that don’t work well for little hands.
On top of all that, you can use this activity as an opportunity to teach children about texture by getting creative with different kinds of brushes (paintbrushes are always welcome), sponges (the ones from kitchen sinks work best), or even fingers!
Color Mixing: Shaving cream also makes a great starter activity when teaching color mixing because there are so many shades within one color family—you just have to get your child started experimenting!
Rice and Pasta Art.
Rice and pasta art is a simple activity that can be done with a toddler. You can use rice or pasta in the following ways
- Use different types of paintbrushes.
- Use different types of paints.
- Use different types of paper.
You can also use pasta in the following ways:
- Different shapes, sizes, and colors will be fun to paint!
Toddler Art And Craft Activity Ideas
These toddler art and craft activity ideas will keep your little ones engaged for hours!
Kids will love these ideas, and they’re easy to do—which means you can do them too. They’re cheap, fun, educational, and a great way to spend time with your kids.
Easy Toddler Crafts
Finger Paint Sun Catchers: Use circles of colored construction paper or tissue paper to make beautiful sun catchers that shine when the light shines through them (or use clear plastic cups).
To make this project even easier for young children, use stickers or markers instead of paint on the outside of the cup/paper circle.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed these toddler art and craft ideas. They’re great for entertaining your little one when they’re bored, or to use as a rainy day activity that will keep them busy for hours!
