After you have got over the initial lifestyle change when you baby starts to walk and becomes a real toddler, then you have to work out how to entertain them now. When babies are still crawling a lot of their entertainment is based around physical goals and achievements. As the parent of a walking child you are entering the phase of toddler art projects.
You may have thought that the whole idea of baby moving to solid foods created a mess, but trust me; a badly planned art project can create much more mess.
The success to toddler art projects is all in the planning. There are several areas to consider.
Length of time
Toddlers have a very short concentration span. If you choose something which will take a long time to set up and then your child wanders off after two minuets it can be very frustrating. Do not plan anything which requires prolonged periods of concentration; if you get fifteen minuets at a time you are doing very well.
What supplies are needed?
A child looks at the world very differently. To them the difference between a tub of glue and a tub of paint is only the color and the box. Whatever art supplies you present to your toddler you should assume will end up in the bin. Do not hope to be able to get them out time and time again. To minimise waste was be sure to decant anything you want to use into empty yogurt pots or other similar sized cartons.
Control how much they use at one time
If you do not want the entire art project supplies tipped into the glue and stirred into a pretend soup then you need to only present one or two arts and crafts supplies at a time. For example the glue and some glitter. It does not matter if these two get mixed up, and they are controllable.
How to prepare for you toddler art projects
First buy lots of cheap colored card. Cut this is to lots of different designs such as butterflies, bumble bees, flowers, boats and other simple shapes. Get a big cardboard box and keep these shapes in there. Use this box to collect your yogurt pots for paints as well. It is worth keeping other small items which may prove useful such as plastic bottle tops and corrugated cardboard (these are free and great for sticking onto projects).
On those rainy days when distraction is needed and needed instantly, simply go to your box, pull out a shape, dollop a spoon of glue into one yogurt put and a spoon of paint into another and you have an instant toddler art project. It couldn't be easier.
Of course there will be cleaning up.... But this shouldn't be too bad. You can invest in toddler overalls, however this is not necessary. I have found that by far the most efficient way to protect your kids during art projects is with oversized t-skirts. Ask around the mothers you know who have older children and ask them to keep any old t-shirt (aged about two years older than your child) and you simply put these on over your kids day clothes and they will literally cover them from neck to knees.
So embrace this new developmental phase and you will both have great fun with some well prepared for toddler art projects.
Discover more about toddler art projects and other great activities to do with your toddlers at http://childrenandtoddlers.com
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