Arts/crafts for 15-17months?

[mom2boys]

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?

[Spixie33]

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

[Cadillac]

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.

[Cadillac]

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

[Cadillac]

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.

[Spixie33]

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.

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. lol

[Inspired by Reggio]

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!

[Inspired by Reggio]

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/

[Mamma_Mia]

I've had sucess with plain old crayon colouring, play-doh and stickers!

[Dreamalittledream]

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.

. FlexFunCare stole my answer <insert whiny voice> lol!