Crafts with a 2 year old

[Canadian_Mom]

So I just discovered how much DS loves "crafting", and wondering if anyone has some simple ideas of projects that we can do together or good websites with ideas? Gluing, coloring, cutting, painting...I don't mind letting him roam free with the random items I picked up from the dollar store (pipe cleaners, fuzz balls, googly eyes, popcicle sticks...) but it would be nice to have some structure worked in, and even learning if possible    The other day I let him paint on some cardboard boxes that I cut up and then when he started to get bored I gave him a bunch of little shapes I had cut out of construction paper while he was painting and then he put them on his "pictures" and painted them as well.
Any thoughts are welcome 

[mum101]

I found in Play Group, where we do an activity each week, most 2/3 yo kids are interested in sticking 'stuff on stuff' and that's about the extent of it! LOL 
I think you are already thinking of working with textures and themes, which would help his thinking about the world very well. 

Your LO can glue cotton balls to a print out of snowman or santa's beard.

A theme can be seasons, dried/pressed flowers glued onto something, or leaf rubbings. 

All sorts of materials stuck on paper fits them well - felt, glitter or coloured sand on a gluey page (can add food colouring to salt for coloured sand),

http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/tproll.html

You could do these toilet paper/paper towel rolls for a theme, eg animals, and talk about the animal, sound it makes, what colour it is, if they fly or walk...

[Chicane]

Sorting is a fun thing too...the old trusty egg carton and a bunch of different things, dry pasta, beans, counters, buttons - for some reason putting them in and out of containers is lots of fun.

We bake bread together - not exactly crafting but DS loves it.

I can send you a recipe for easy home made play dough too if you want, just pm me.

Ummm....DS is 2.5 and started using his own scissors are few weeks ago - I have cut out pages from magazines and he loves just cutting into them.

if I think of anything else will get back to you

x

[We Three]

 My dd has always been SO into stuff like this too!  You can cut construction paper into small shapes and have him try to match...like "Glue all the red shapes to the red paper"  or cut large sahpes too, and "glue all the squares onto the big square, and all the circles onto the big circle". 
 DD ADORED stickers at that age...and still does! 
 Play dough is awesome...we would incorporate our play dishes as well, and make bowls of berries and plates of spagetti, then cut it up with a play knife...so fun!
 You can make easy "puppets" out of a paper bag...glue on googly eyes....a sock works great for that too! We still make sock-puppets!
 Fingerpainting was always a fave too!
 Have him rip up different colored paper and use a glue-stick to make a "collage" out of it!
 Lay him down on a big piece of paper and trace his body...then you can paint or draw his clothes and face....so cute!
 Cut up drinking straws in different lengths and colors and have him string them on yarn or pipe cleaner....make a bracelet or necklace from it.
 Spread peanut butter on a pine cone and roll in bird seed (or small dry cereal) and hang outside a visible window so he can see birds eat from it!
  In warm climates, give him a bucket of water and a big paintbrush...dd used to love to "paint" the porch, my car, rocks...anything! 

[Chicane]

In warm climates, give him a bucket of water and a big paintbrush...dd used to love to "paint" the porch, my car, rocks...anything!

this is a favourite of ours too and we do cooking with water - so lots of big pots and pans, spoons, ladles, bowls, whisk and colanders out on the balcony - hours of entertainment!

Also we stick mini cup cake holders onto cardboard and put things in them...the gluing on alone is fun.

[Canadian_Mom]

Loving these "crafty" ideas!! You guys are awesome    As I said I love to let him explore with all the different items but it is always nice to attempt some structure.  Definitely will be trying these things out.

DS does help me with baking/cooking already (if he isn't already doing something exciting).  Once summer comes around we will definitely do some painting with water.  We have a big wrap around deck with a gate at the stairs so that will be perfect for when LO#2 comes around and he needs outside time and mommy is tired (maybe I will get tanned and not look so tired...).

I am getting excited for crafting 

[atlantamomofthree]

You could use pasta, like ziti or penne, and yarn (with a bit of foil twisted on the end) and let him thread the pasta onto the yarn. If you want to get educational, you could let him color the pasta different colors with washable markers (or you could paint them beforehand yourself and let them dry  ) and then teach him about patterns. Blue, red, blue or blue, red, green or blue, red, red, blue ect Great early math, good fine motor skill, and makes 'em sit still to do it!