Good sites/resources/projects for crafts/art/sensory play for young toddlers?
Donna Metler
activities I can do with a young toddler/older baby. She's not quite up to
most of what I find when I search on "Toddler crafts" (for example, she's
not up to pasting pieces of paper together which seems to be a common theme
in toddler activities), but she is up to picking up a marker and scribbling
with it (when it's not in her mouth), likes playing with food (so would
probably really like playdough or a safe clay), etc.
--
Donna DeVore Metler
Orff Music Specialist/Kindermusik
Mother to Angel Brian Anthony 1/1/2002, 22 weeks, severe PE/HELLP
And Allison Joy, 11/25/04 (35 weeks, PIH, Pre-term labor)
Beth Kevles
Paint with shaving cream on a hosable surface. (Easy clean up!) You
can add food coloring for even morefun.
FIngerpaint.
Playdough. (Make your own with flour, water, food coloridng.)
Paint with water on the sidewalk. Or use chalk on the sidewalk.
Really, for that age, the purpose of arts and crafts is, um, immersive.
The goal is to get used to the various textures, experiment, feel and
see and hear and even taste what happens.
Help mix dough for whatever you feel like baking. Expect uneven baking
results since much will wind up on the floor!
I don't know of any particular sites to recommend, though.
--Beth Kevles
bethk...@aol.com
http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.
NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.
karlisa
ones finger paint using vanilla pudding with food color in it.
This link looked interesting:
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/toddlersandpreschoolers/
or perhaps this one:
http://fun.familyeducation.com/childrens-art-activities/crafts/33376.html
lisa
micksmom
toto
<dmme...@xxxbellsouthxxx.net> wrote:
>Geee, what a convoluted subject line! Anyway, I'm looking for various
>activities I can do with a young toddler/older baby. She's not quite up to
>most of what I find when I search on "Toddler crafts" (for example, she's
>not up to pasting pieces of paper together which seems to be a common theme
>in toddler activities), but she is up to picking up a marker and scribbling
>with it (when it's not in her mouth), likes playing with food (so would
>probably really like playdough or a safe clay), etc.
There are plenty of websites, but here are some activities.
Remember that process is more important with toddlers than product,
so don't worry if you can't save a product to look at.
Fingerpainting is always good. Get the shiny fingerpainting paper
and some fingerpaints and let her paint. She can do this on an
easel if you have one. It's actually better for toddlers to use an
easel for fine motor coordination.
Shaving cream or whipped cream on a flat surface is fun too.
Or you can paint with chocolate pudding too - makes a mess,
but lots of fun.
Clean mud is fun - toilet paper and ivory soap shavings and water
make this concoction.
Playdough is great. You can make your own (lots of recipes
and I can post some if you wish). Toddlers can help make the
dough and you can vary it with different textures by adding
glitter, sand, uncooked rice, etc. You can also make it smell
nice by adding spices or dry koolaid.
Make rubbings by placing something with a nice flat design
under the paper and showing her how to use the side of the
crayon to make the design come out.
Use stickers. Great for fine motor in terms of pealing the
stickers off to place on paper (be creative, stick the stickers
on your nose or hand or other places as well).
Get contact paper, tape it to the table sticky side up and let
her paste cut out paper to make a collage.
For gluing, try glue sticks instead of glue with a paint brush
or use the tap n glue top for a glue bottle that lets little ones
get only a dot of glue out.
Get those paint with water books (no mess and fun, but
you have to figure out which brands work best - some are
very poor in quality).
You can also paint with water outside on the car or side of
the house just to pretend.
Get some squirt bottles and put in water and a little bit of
paint to color it - then paint on the snow if you have a
snowstorm or tape up a big piece of paper and squirt
paint on it.
Use sidewalk chalk to draw on construction paper (you can
have her dip it in water to make a darker mark)
Let her try cutting even if she isn't coordinated at it yet. If
you hold the paper she may be able to get some cuts. You
can use narrow paper and let her cut all the way across
it to make the pieces for a collage.
Paste things other than paper, like macaroni or pieces of
rice, etc. She can stick her finger in the glue to put the glue
on the paper - glue made of flour and water works fine and
is non-toxic.
Try marble painting. Put paper in the bottom of a square
or rectangular pan that has reasonable sides on it. Dip a
marble in paint and let her tip the pan around to paint on
the paper.
Or dip some little cars in paint and let her move them around
on the paper to make tracks.
Use sponges to paint - I cut up a sponge into several smaller
pieces, but you can buy sponge shapes like animals and
letters.
Use stamp pads. This takes a little strength, but that will
develop as she uses them. There are lots of different stamps
you can get for her to stamp with (you can also get markers
that stamp instead of being used as traditional markers or
get bingo markers and she can stamp circles to her heart's
content).
Try putting paper on a plastic tray and putting metal objects
in some paint on the tray, then moving a magnet wand around
under the paper to create a painting.
Good luck
--
Dorothy
There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..
The Outer Limits
toto
<dmme...@xxxbellsouthxxx.net> wrote:
>Geee, what a convoluted subject line! Anyway, I'm looking for various
>activities I can do with a young toddler/older baby. She's not quite up to
>most of what I find when I search on "Toddler crafts" (for example, she's
>not up to pasting pieces of paper together which seems to be a common theme
>in toddler activities), but she is up to picking up a marker and scribbling
>with it (when it's not in her mouth), likes playing with food (so would
>probably really like playdough or a safe clay), etc.
Oh, yeah, forgot
Paint, marker or crayons on paper plates work for toddlers.
You can cut a hole in the middle and make it into a hat or
cut eye holes and nose hole and put a string or yarn to tie
on it and make a mask.
You can also make collages out of natural things like leaves
and feathers and pebbles. You can paint larger rocks you
collect.
You can make things out of pine cones, by sticking pieces
of craft foam into the holes in the cone.
You can make a bird feeder, by rolling a pine cone in peanut
butter and then in bird seed and hanging it on a tree in the
back yard. (Squirrels may get it instead of birds though)
You can make handprints and footprints with tracing or in
paint (my kids loved to dance on paper with their feet painted)
just set up to wash the feet off quickly (this is a good outdoor
activity in the summer time).
You can make all kinds of things out of kids handprints,
though they may not be able to complete it without help.
You can also make fingerprints on paper and make them
into little animals or other things.
You can let her use a hole punch to make designs with.
Or get those special hole punches that make different
shapes and let her use those.
Paint with cotton swabs instead of brushes.
Make paper plate maracas - have her decorate the backs
of the paper plates, put some dried beans inside and staple
the plates together for her own musical maracas
Stuffed paper sculpture - The adult should cut out two
identical shapes from a piece of large construction paper.
Simple shapes work best, like geometric shapes or fish.
Your toddler decorates each piece of paper. The adult
then staples the papers together around the perimeter,
leaving an opening for stuffing. The toddler then crumples
up pieces of newspaper or scrap paper, and stuffs the
sculpture. When full, the adult finishes stapling around
the sculpture.
Noodle necklaces – The day before stringing necklaces,
the adult should dye the noodles. Large, hollow noodles
such as rigatoni or penne work the best! To dye noodles,
place in a small plastic bag. Add several drops of food
coloring and half a capful of rubbing alcohol (helps to
set the dye). Spread out on newspaper and allow to dry.
These keep indefinitely if stored in a sealed container.
When the noodles are dry, your toddler can use yarn
with a piece of masking tape around one end (which
acts as a “needle”) to string the noodles.
String pictures - Help your toddler brush a sheet of
heavy construction paper or poster board with a solution
of 2 parts white glue to 1 part water. Then, allow them to
place pieces of cut yarn in the glue, making three
dimensional pictures.
Paint with epsom salts and water on holiday cards to
make a snow scene.
Make *snow* out of ivory soap (flakes work best, but
detergent is ok) and water - whip up with a hand mixer
and let her make snow scenes and snow sculptures.
KR
clean up was relatively simple, with a sink full of soapy water ready!!
We used hands and feet, then later incorporated sponges and brushes!
Now we mostly use play doh, draw, and stickers.
She also helps me bake, well I bake mostly so she can help me! She
loves using the cookie cutters and washing the fruit & vegetables.
Usually we will decorate the cookies with icing pens when they are
cooled off, that is lots of fun!
I have yet to do this, but making cheerio/fruit loop jewelry can be
fun! They can eat while they make (or after) and can help learn colors
and design.
My baby sitter uses glue and sparkles with them on occassion but I
haven't yet. Last time she used it she had to give them all baths when
one put their gluey hands in their hair and the other 2 immediately
copied! LOL
KR
Sue
--
Sue (mom to three girls)
"Donna Metler" <dmme...@xxxbellsouthxxx.net> wrote in message
news:k6ezf.6605$Ea3....@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
Chookie
"Donna Metler" <dmme...@xxxbellsouthxxx.net> wrote:
> Geee, what a convoluted subject line! Anyway, I'm looking for various
> activities I can do with a young toddler/older baby. She's not quite up to
> most of what I find when I search on "Toddler crafts" (for example, she's
> not up to pasting pieces of paper together which seems to be a common theme
> in toddler activities), but she is up to picking up a marker and scribbling
> with it (when it's not in her mouth), likes playing with food (so would
> probably really like playdough or a safe clay), etc.
Um, there you go. Playdough and drawing. Try different media -- big fat
crayons and big fat textas are good. And Duplo. Why do you need lots of
different activities?
--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.