| The Crafty Angle |
| (And It's Not Just For Kids :-) |
Fun Craft Ideas For Toddlers.
Getting a toddler to sit still can be a near-impossible feat.
They're constantly exploring the world around them. That's a
good thing, but sometimes they need some creative
downtime. That's where toddler crafts come in.
Crafting is great for toddlers for a number of reasons. It can
help them develop longer attention spans. Most crafts help
develop hand-eye coordination. And young children can
benefit from learning how to follow simple instructions. Here
are some craft ideas that your toddler can do
(with supervision).
Craft Stick Puppets -
Puppets are fascinating to toddlers. Creating their own
puppets is easy, and it's lots of fun. All you really need are
some craft or popsicle sticks, construction paper, safety
scissors, markers and glue.
Help your toddlers cut animal shapes out of construction paper. They can draw faces and other details with
washable markers. Glue the stick to the back of the shape, let dry, and they’re ready to put on a puppet show. If you
want to make more elaborate puppets, try cutting shapes out of foam. Glue on a pom pom for the nose, and add
some googly eyes.
Paint with Pudding -
Kids love to finger-paint, but it's so messy. And there's also the concern about them eating the paint. Even if the
paints are non-toxic, it can make cautious parents uneasy. The solution? - Let them paint with pudding! You don't
need different flavours to make different colours. Just use one serving of plain vanilla pudding, divide it up into small
portions, and add food colouring to create various shades. Give your child a paper plate to use as a canvas for his
masterpiece. When he's done, he can eat it with no worries.
Design a T-Shirt -
If your toddler sees you sewing or painting clothes with fabric paint, they may want to try their hand at designing
clothes. But needles are small and sharp, and fabric paint is messy. What to do? - Break out the markers!
Kids can have a blast decorating a plain white t-shirt with colourful markers. If you use washable ones, they can
create a design, wear it, and start over after you wash the shirt. If a permanent design is desired, however, you'll
have to let him use non-washable markers. You can avoid a mess by covering the work area with newspaper and
putting a smock on your toddler.
Place-mats -
Making place-mats out of contact paper is very easy. Have
your toddler cut shapes out of construction paper and glue
them onto a whole piece with a glue stick. They can add
detail with markers or embellish with stickers. When they’re
done, place the artwork on a piece of contact paper, sticky
side up. Place another sheet of contact paper on top, sticky
side down.
Most toddlers will only have the patience to make one place-
mat at a time. But they can make another one tomorrow,
continuing until there are enough for the whole table. They’ll
be so proud to know that everyone sees their artwork at
every meal!
Crafting can help your toddlers learn important skills while
keeping them quietly occupied. Whether it's a rainy day or
they’re just feeling creative, seize the opportunity to let them
channel their imagination into something you can all admire.
Getting a toddler to sit still can be a near-impossible feat.
They're constantly exploring the world around them. That's a
good thing, but sometimes they need some creative
downtime. That's where toddler crafts come in.
Crafting is great for toddlers for a number of reasons. It can
help them develop longer attention spans. Most crafts help
develop hand-eye coordination. And young children can
benefit from learning how to follow simple instructions. Here
are some craft ideas that your toddler can do
(with supervision).
Craft Stick Puppets -
Puppets are fascinating to toddlers. Creating their own
puppets is easy, and it's lots of fun. All you really need are
some craft or popsicle sticks, construction paper, safety
scissors, markers and glue.
Help your toddlers cut animal shapes out of construction paper. They can draw faces and other details with
washable markers. Glue the stick to the back of the shape, let dry, and they’re ready to put on a puppet show. If you
want to make more elaborate puppets, try cutting shapes out of foam. Glue on a pom pom for the nose, and add
some googly eyes.
Paint with Pudding -
Kids love to finger-paint, but it's so messy. And there's also the concern about them eating the paint. Even if the
paints are non-toxic, it can make cautious parents uneasy. The solution? - Let them paint with pudding! You don't
need different flavours to make different colours. Just use one serving of plain vanilla pudding, divide it up into small
portions, and add food colouring to create various shades. Give your child a paper plate to use as a canvas for his
masterpiece. When he's done, he can eat it with no worries.
Design a T-Shirt -
If your toddler sees you sewing or painting clothes with fabric paint, they may want to try their hand at designing
clothes. But needles are small and sharp, and fabric paint is messy. What to do? - Break out the markers!
Kids can have a blast decorating a plain white t-shirt with colourful markers. If you use washable ones, they can
create a design, wear it, and start over after you wash the shirt. If a permanent design is desired, however, you'll
have to let him use non-washable markers. You can avoid a mess by covering the work area with newspaper and
putting a smock on your toddler.
Place-mats -
Making place-mats out of contact paper is very easy. Have
your toddler cut shapes out of construction paper and glue
them onto a whole piece with a glue stick. They can add
detail with markers or embellish with stickers. When they’re
done, place the artwork on a piece of contact paper, sticky
side up. Place another sheet of contact paper on top, sticky
side down.
Most toddlers will only have the patience to make one place-
mat at a time. But they can make another one tomorrow,
continuing until there are enough for the whole table. They’ll
be so proud to know that everyone sees their artwork at
every meal!
Crafting can help your toddlers learn important skills while
keeping them quietly occupied. Whether it's a rainy day or
they’re just feeling creative, seize the opportunity to let them
channel their imagination into something you can all admire.
