Author Topic: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers  (Read 11019 times)

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Offline Sunshine's Mommy

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Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« on: March 13, 2009, 19:35:02 pm »
My DD was in daycare until this week and she always did these beautiful and creative crafts with her caregiver.  Now that she'll be home with me for a year, I'd like to make sure that she is still stimulated and would love to do some creative crafts with her.  But the problem is... I'm not all that creative.

I was wondering if we could share some crafts ideas.  What supplies are needed, can you use recycled materials or dollar store things, how it's made and maybe even a picture of the final product?

I love the thread with activities for toddlers and I printed the whole thing to keep it handy.  And I thought that maybe we could make this a sticky too (if there is enough interest).

Anna
  

Offline Sunshine's Mommy

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2009, 19:52:16 pm »
I just found this website and it seems to have some easy and fun crafts.  When you scroll to the bottom you'll find a whole list of crafts

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/puppets/twofinger/
Anna
  

Offline Bryony

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2009, 19:55:14 pm »
Katie is a lot younger than your toddler - but this is what we do:

- STICKING - her fave - I cut up used bits of wrapping paper, chocolate wrappers, any interesting bits of paper and she loves making collages

- STICKERS - more expensive but a real treat if I can buy some cheap sheets of stickers - even just little coloured dots from an office supplies shop

- our 99p store often has good stickers, fluffy balls, "eyes" etc - big bags for 99p - which last ages and are great for sticking

- making cards - I get her to do a big sheet of paper and cover it with paint and then cut it up into squares and stick onto cards to make thank you cards - or use stickers

- PAINTING - nice thick poster paint.... shower curtain on the floor...

- modelling clay - we use Soft Stuff - with cookie cutters, rolling pins, - one day I cut up some straws into 2-3cm long bits and we used them to make spiders and hedgehogs by sticking them into balls of modelling clay

If I can remember how to post photos I will add some in another post

Bryony xx


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Offline Mama2boys

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2009, 20:05:32 pm »
perfect thread, i so need this as well.
9 and 6, oh boy!

Offline Sunshine's Mommy

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2009, 20:16:52 pm »
Bryony - love the shower curtain on the floor idea for painting! much better than newspapers (that's what I've been doing)
Anna
  

Offline speechie

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2009, 21:18:27 pm »
I keep a little treasure box full of spare goodies for creativity:
yarn/string leftovers
odd pieces of wrapping paper, origami paper
empty toilet paper tubes
stickers
crayons
glue sticks
glitter (if you are really brave!)
stamps and inpads
buttons
construction paper and kid scissors

I used to do crafts in my nanny days of old:
colored construction paper and glue on cotton balls to make a sheep.
trace the kids' hands and let them decorate/or whole body on big paper!
cut apples/carrots into interesting shapes and use as a stamp
macaroni necklaces
Cathie
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Offline Mama2boys

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2009, 21:27:33 pm »
do you use gluesticks for sticking stuff??
9 and 6, oh boy!

Offline Sarah - Enfys' Mum

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2009, 22:11:51 pm »
We do





Offline Bryony

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2009, 12:01:50 pm »
We sometimes use gluesticks, sometimes glue out of a squeezy bottle

Yes you have to be VERY brave to use glitter - usually ends in tears in our house (mine not Katie's!!)


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Offline Mama2boys

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2009, 18:36:44 pm »
thanks all..i need to stat colecting toilet and kitchen roll cores.
9 and 6, oh boy!

Offline Deb_in_oz

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2009, 22:39:18 pm »
check out these sites for amazing inspiration
The Crafty Crow  http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/ which posts links to other sites doing great things
No time for flashcards - http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/    great for toddlers as her lo is still young but she also does some preschooler level crafts (always includes books and songs to link in with themes)
Preschool Daze- is an international preschool and the diector posts lots of things that they do that you could adapt or copy  http://preschool-daze.com/

have others but if you start with these you will follow the trail yourself. if you see a craft you love on crafty crow check out the person's blog and see what else they have done and so on.  no time for flashcards is the best individual kids craft site IMO because of the way she shows you step by step including any issues like her son eating the paint
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

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Offline Mama2boys

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #11 on: March 15, 2009, 01:12:14 am »
Thanks Deb!
9 and 6, oh boy!

Offline mari

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #12 on: March 15, 2009, 08:16:52 am »
Try to build up a little arts and craft box full of prit stick type glue (less messy) and little things to stick onto it, you could cut up shapes of paper and I also like to cut out the initial of their name and as they get older you can use the other letters to help with letter recognition.

I cut circles and features so that they can put the eyes, nose and mouth in the right place, we also made an Ox for the Chinese new year where they had to put the horns, eyes and nose and we stuck it on a stick for a mask.

Also, real stickers are nice, especially for younger toddlers who find the glue stick tricky. 

The important thing is that they do it as they want to, not how they should (IYKWIM) you can sit and do what you should do and they can watch and learn, but if they don't get it right, that's fine,it's their work and they will get it right soon.  I was in a playgroup when a mum was trying to stop her son from twirling the heart shaped cutter around in the playdough, she was taking it off him and showing him how to do it correctly, he just wanted to twirl it around.  But he was having fun, who cares if he wasn't making hearts, he was making lovely swirls!  Let the children lead you!

Offline dmills

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #13 on: March 16, 2009, 19:51:36 pm »
Moon sand creations.
Glue-google eyes, feathers, paper, beads, etc...
Stringing beads.
Homemade silly putty.
Shaving cream art.
Coloring.
Painting.
Worksheets to color, cut, and glue together.
Foam craft kits from craft stores.
Make our own books.

dmills

Offline speechie

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Re: Art and Craft ideas for toddlers
« Reply #14 on: March 16, 2009, 21:04:06 pm »
pipe cleaners are great too!
Cathie
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