Easy Crafts For Your Toddler
Keeping an inquisitive toddler
entertained and stimulated isn’t always an easy task. His curiosity will
usually get him in all sorts of trouble as he is taking things apart to figure
out how they work. A great way to keep him busy with something slightly less
destructive is to make crafts with your toddler. Crafting is also a wonderful
way to spend quality time with your child. Take a look at the craft ideas
below, pick something and start making an easy craft with your toddler.
Paper Plate Mask
Who knew that plain paper plates
could be so much fun? All you need are the plates themselves of course, some
scissors, markers and some string. Start by holding the paper plate in front of
your child’s face and mark the spots for the eyes. Cut two holes for the eyes
so your child will be able to see through the mask. Cutting a mouth opening is
optional. Then let your child decorate the mask with markers or crayons. You
can also have her cut shapes (think ears) out of construction paper and glue
them on the paper plate mask. Tape or staple a piece of string to each site of
the mask and use them to tie the finished mask around your child’s head.
Collages
Here’s another one of our favorite
craft activities – a collage. You can make a collage with your toddler on just
about any topic. Keep old magazines and even grocery flyers around and let your
child cut items out of these papers. Then use a glue stick to glue them on a
large sheet of paper or construction paper. Use markers, crayons and stickers
to further embellish the collage. Don’t forget to hang it up when you’re done.
Macaroni Necklace
Macaroni aren’t just good for making
mac and cheese. They are also the building blocks of macaroni necklaces. All
you need is a handful of uncooked macaroni noodles and a piece of string. Make
a large knot in one end of the string, then let your child thread the noodles
on the string. When she’s done, just tie the two pieces of string together and
the necklace is ready to be worn. You can also make a colorful necklace by
painting the individual noodles with acrylic paint.
Crayon Suncatcher
If you have a toddler in the house,
you are bound to have lots of small pieces of broken crayons as well. Here’s a
simple craft that will turn those crayon pieces and a little wax paper into a
colorful suncatcher. Start by grading the crayon pieces with an old cheese
grater, or shave them with a knife. Put each color into a small bowl or in a
little pile. Then cut two round pieces out of wax paper. They should be the same
size. Let your child sprinkle the crayon shavings on one of the pieces of wax
paper. When she’s done, cover it with the other piece of wax paper. Put an old
towel on your ironing board and carefully transfer the wax paper crayon
“sandwich” on the ironing board. Turn your iron on medium high (without steam).
Add another towel on top of the wax paper and gently iron over it several times
until the crayon shavings are melted. Allow your suncatcher to cool and harden
before you pick it up. Thread some yarn through it to hang it up in the window.
You can also sew a button stitch all around the suncatcher with some yarn and a
thick needle to make the suncatcher a little more stable.
Finger Paint
What child doesn’t love to finger
paint? Smearing paint with your fingers is just plain fun. You can use
store-bought finger paint, or make your own by mixing condensed milk with a few
drops of food coloring. This works just as well as commercial finger paint and
is completely non-toxic. Don’t forget to cover the “work area” with plenty of
old newspapers to make cleanup a snap
Sock Puppets
Does your washer or dryer eat socks?
Ours sure does and we end up with quite a few single socks whose counterparts
have mysteriously gone missing. These socks are perfect for making sock puppets.
All you need are two buttons for eyes and some scraps of fabric or felt and a
little yarn. After that it will be up to your toddler’s imagination to turn the
sock into a puppet – with your help of course. Not only will you have a lot of
fun making these sock puppets, you and your child will enjoy playing with the
finished products just as much.
Article by:
How would you like to get craft
ideas like these along with parenting information, product recall info,
recipes, book reviews and more delivered to your email inbox every week? That’s
exactly what ParentingZoo – the new online Parenting Magazine does. Sign up
today at www.parentingzoo.com
Get some lovely craft goodies FREE when you join us
It is FREE-----no
strings attached
No comments:
Post a Comment