When your kids are young, it can be really fun to expose them to all sorts of new experiences and stimulation. Not only will you have a good time, it’s also great for their development. There are all sorts of different experiences that you can offer to your child. Here we outline some fun arts and crafts activities for toddlers.
1. Coloring, And Then Drawing
For younger toddlers, coloring often just means scribbling on a page. We’ve all gotta start somewhere!
Set your little one up with a nice set of crayons designed for toddlers, and watch them delight in their ability to make colors appear on the page. Over time, they’ll learn to color within the lines, and before you know it, they’ll be drawing entire pictures of their own.
2. Then Onto Painting
While drawing and coloring can be a lot of fun, painting takes things to a new level. It’s a little more challenging and a whole lot messier, but a lot of fun!
You can set your little one up with some watercolors and paper, or you can put them in front of a toddler easel and prepare to be amazed. Fair warning though, it can be a really good idea to put some paper down on the ground beneath the easel or table. Otherwise, you’re going to have to get pretty good at cleaning up spilled paint.
3. Homemade Holiday Cards
Making holiday cards can be a sentimental form of artistic expression. Pick a few friends and relatives to send cards to, and set your little one to work. You might trace your toddler’s hand to make a turkey, or teach them how to draw a heart for Valentine’s Day. No matter the holiday, there is usually a great card to go along with it. Beyond the drawing, you can help your little one craft a nice message for the lucky recipient.
Keep a few for yourself with the stored holiday decorations. You’ll enjoy memories every year when you pull them back out.
4. Origami: Who Knew Paper Could Be So Fun?
Origami is rather remarkable. You start with a small piece of paper. Then, after a few of the right folds, you’re looking at an elephant, sailboat, or some other design. The tough thing about origami for younger toddlers is that it requires some ability to follow directions. If your little one is interested though, you can show them how to fold a sheet, and they might just enjoy copying what you do with a sheet of their own.
The great part about origami is that unlike almost every other type of art, this one really isn’t too messy. It also travels really well. You can do it on an airplane or bring some paper with you when you go to visit relatives and you’ll be in good shape.
The more opportunities that you give your child to try new things, the better the chance of finding something that they really love. Who knows, maybe one of these arts and crafts ideas will really strike a chord.
Written by Cristin Howard
Cristin Howard runs Smart Parent Advice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Cristin writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase for babies and toddlers.