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I have 3 little guys between 15 and 17 months, and having a hard time coming up with arts/ craft ideas for them. I know what they will be able to do is limited, but beyond scribbling with crayons/ markers, or finger painting, I'm lost.
I have a 3 yo and a 4 yo too, but finding ideas for them is much easier.
any ideas?
I was pretty much stuck in painting limbo during this time last year when most of my kids were that age.
Just do painting in different ways. they are also good with brushes already around that age. I also did sponge stamps from the dollar store and then let the kids stamp using paint.
another thing is to get a rectangular plastic container....put a piece of construction paper in the bottom, then put a dab of paint in the center and let the kids pretend to drive a car through the paint....or let them roll a ping pong ball around the container to make a spider painting......
Also...go to the dollar store and get Bingo dabbers in every colour...give the kids construction paper and let them dab away. The kids love the dabbers at that age. Just make sure they are wearing smocks
Magic markers on paper are also pretty exciting for them and stickers
STICKERS!!!!!! Make sure they are a bit bigger and easier to get off the paper or you can peel off the backing so that only the stickers are left on the sheet. This way the kids have no problem getting them off.. Show them how it is done and they'll take it from there. You'll probably have to help peel a few off here and there but its great fine motor skill practice and all kids LOVE stickers. I have tons more. I'll look through my program and copy and paste some more for you at nap time.
Mix paint with shaving cream. Makes cool puffy paint art. When the painting is done they love to swirl it around the table. Very messy but screamin' fun.
Shak - a - paint is awsome. get a few old margarine containers and cut lots of paper to size. let the children dip marbles or bells or tiny rocks you've cottected in paint and put it in the container with construction paper. put the lid on and shake shake shake!!! makes really neat looking paintings
Gluing is fun too. Cut a whole bunch of shapes out or make 'confetti'. teach the children how to spread glue and then let them stick the shapes on or sprinkle the confetti on the glue.
I always peeled the stickers for the kids and stuck a whole bunch on each kids hand so they could peel them off from their hand and put them on the paper. lolQuote:
Originally Posted by FlexFunCare
Children under the age of 4 are more about the PROCESS with art and really could care less about an end product - so just giving them a 'medium' to explore and helping them learn how to use it 'safely and respectfully'.
For infants / toddlers
Contact paper collage - put down a square of contact paper and add 'bits and bobs' to stick onto it ... tissue squares, sequence, shapes of paper and so forth than cover with another piece of contact paper to make suncatcher for your window.
Paint with a variety of tools to learn about different ways to make textures and patterns with paint .... use kitchen tools - potato mashers, rolling pins, flyswatters, kitchen scrubbers, sponges, different sizes paint brushes from thin to chunky brushed, use bubble wrap, string, feathers, q tips and well the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
TAPE ... toddlers love to play with tape - it sticky, things stick to it it sticks to them!
Explore with pipe cleaners - twisting, connecting, creating 'things' with them ... great and reusable craft for toddlers!
PLAY DOUGH ... oh hours of fun pinching and poking things into play dough!
Here are two of my favorite blogs for ideas with wee ones!
http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/
http://www.theimaginationtree.com/
http://pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com/
http://childhood101.com/
I've had sucess with plain old crayon colouring, play-doh and stickers!
. FlexFunCare stole my answer <insert whiny voice> lol!Quote:
Originally Posted by FlexFunCare
Where do you find contact paper? I can't find it anywhereQuote:
Originally Posted by Inspired by Reggio
LOL!! I feel the same way all the time. We all tend to have the same answers. I like being the first to answer a post so all my ideas still seem original. This way it looks like everyone else is copying or agreeing with ME!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamalittledream
Walmart in the 'kitchen organization' section ... also called clear shelf liner or mac tac ... Dollar Store as well but it is a small piece usually.Quote:
Originally Posted by FlexFunCare
Another thing my crew loves is I laminated white cardstock with heavy laminate and we 'explore' on this surface, great with paint, with washable markers or dry erase overhead markers and so forth and than when they are 'done' it will 'wipe clean' for use another day and environmentally friendly way to create for the 'process orientated' child - and if they create something they really want to 'show mom and dad' I take a picture of it. Great thing is that they can 'finger paint' on it forever and it will not 'degrade' like paper will on them.
Under 2's are a challenge and I do like to start them crafting shortly after their first birthday.
A daycare provider I know posted a fantastic idea for mess-free painting. You put a teaspoon or two of salad oil in an extra large ziplock bag, then I squirted in about 3-4 colours of paint in blobs and then just let the children use their fingers to push the paint around inside the bag. It has to be water soluble paint so it doesn't mix with the oil and it will eventually all mix into one yucky colour but this provides lots of fun.
I mix flour and water and food colouring to make fingerpaints for the babies because it's not going to harm them at all.
I use a koolaid recipe to make my playdo and it smells fruity and nice. The kids love it. Then when it gets old we mold it into something depending on my theme of the week, but even a handprint that can be left to harden and painted is great for Mother's Day, etc.
I bought short little washable markers for them to colour.
When my older children are crafting I just let the little ones play or I put them in their boosters with craft materials but I don't have them make the big crafts until about 18 months of age, then I start showing them all about glueing and taping things too.
Oh just remembered another one that even my 12 month old has done...
at night fill an ice cube tray with water
Add food colouring to the tray so that some are red, some are blue, some are yellow, etc
Then put in the freezer for about 20 minutes
Break some popsicle sticks in half and stick into the ice cube tray colours for a short handle.
And voila...next day you have ice paint
Use fingerpaint paper (the one that has a glossy sheen) and give the kids the ice cubes on a stick and let them paint
Even if the little ones have a lick - it is just water and food colouring
The colours do show up on the paper and make sort of a water colour picture as they drag it across the page
Are you guys all on Pinterest? If not....you must!!!! It is a GOLD MINE for excellent open and structured craft ideas for all ages!!!!! Beware, it's addicting! :D
Some recent ideas I've done:
Spaghetti Painting
Shaving foam painting (with food colouring)
Cool Whip Painting (with food colouring)
Oatmeal painting (mix oatmeal with non-toxic paint)
Sponge Painting
Bingo Dabbers on Coffee filters
Stamping