Top 10 Art And Craft Activities For Toddlers
Do you love your toddler more when he is asleep? Relax, don’t feel guilty! Here are some art n crafts for toddlers to keep her busy.
The years from one to three, known as terrible two’s, are often stressful for mothers. Toddlers are bundles of energy. They bask in the new-found independence of movement. As everything comes in the realm of a possibility, they can be quite a handful. However, little planning and creativity can transform the years to ‘terrific’ two’s!
The Difference between Art and Craft:
Even the most adventurous toddler love to sit still (at least for some time!) and play with an art or craft activity. The process of both activities appears to be similar, in reality, they are different. Any art activity is open-ended and unstructured while craft activity is goal-oriented and structured.
Art Activities:
- Process oriented
- Enhance imagination
- Makes use of basic supplies
Craft Activities:
- Product oriented
- Enhance cognitive skills
- Use specific material and an instruction plan
Before deciding on any particular activity, understand that art and craft activities for your toddler should be:
- 1. Simple
- 2. Promote creativity and imagination
- 3. Co-ordination
- 4. Provide Learning
Top 10 Art and Craft Ideas for Toddlers:
1. Pencil Eraser Art:
Get some pencils (the ones with erasers on top), water colour and a card sheet. Dip the eraser in any colour and apply it on paper. Let your toddler create colourful pictures using the dots.
[ Read: Learning Activities For Toddlers ]
2. Fabric Shapes:
Do you have some leftover fabric? You can also cut few pieces from old clothes. Cut geometric shapes with the fabric. Use one colour for one shape. Let him stick on a card sheet to create simple pictures like a boat, a house or a flag. If you can give him toy scissors, he will have extra fun.
3. Ripping, Tearing and Sticking:
Collect a few colourful magazines, after making sure that you don’t need them. Let your toddler rip or tear the pages. Apply some glue on paper and let him stick the pieces the way he likes.
4. Scribbling and Drawing:
This is the age when children love to “draw” – they just need a sheet and a pencil, and they are good to create their own art. You can also print few pictures from online and allow your kid to colour it.
[ Read: Color Activities For Preschool ]
5. Hand Prints:
Take a large sheet and some water colour in a plate. Apply the colour to your child’s palm and press on the sheet. He will be happy to see the imprint. Another variation of this could be just taking thumb imprints, using little imaginations of a tree or a peacock using few colors. Make sure your child does not lick or get the paint in his eyes!
6. Card Stock Flowers:
Cut colorful card sheet in different shapes like flower, leaf, stem, stars, moon, sun, trees and mountains. Place some glue on a paper plate and give the kid an ice-cream spoon to apply the glue. Let him paste on a paper as he likes.
7. Block Prints:
Collect few wooden blocks in different shapes and plastic bottle lids. Apply colour on these shapes and put one at a time on the paper. Have fun creating pictures with these shapes. As always, be with him during the activity and ensure he does not put any block in his mouth.
8. Leaf Impressions:
Collect few leaves in various shapes. Place them on a sheet and secure with a thin piece of tape. Let your kid apply colour on the rest of the paper. Remove the leaves and you have lovely leaf patterns printed on paper. This is a good opportunity to teach about nature and is one of the easiest craft for toddlers.
[ Read: Summer Activities For Toddlers ]
9. Chalkboard Art:
Hang a chalkboard on a wall and let your kid draw with colourful chalks. He will be happy to create and erase patterns and shapes.
10. Sticker Art:
Buy some assorted stickers in different shapes. Teach the kid how to remove the thin cover and let him stick and play with the shapes to create a picture.
Exposing your kid to some of the above-mentioned activities early enhances creativity, imagination and expression. In a fun and colorful way, they help in decision making and develop communication skills. This creativity will be a valuable resource for your toddler later on, when he excels in school and life.
Happy ‘art’ing with your toddler!
My daughter drew an almost perfect circle when she was two years old. After painting it orange, she happily told me it was the Sun.
Do share your interesting art and craft ideas for toddlers in the comment section below:
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