Crafts with Toddlers

Creativity can happen in all sorts of places not necessarily in a craft activity. Toddlers mind is creative without even trying so letting them be themselves and explore their brains and see what they come up with!

At the age of three and four, toddlers are generally not having full control over their body movements, their gross motor skills and fine motor skills are still developing and hence a perfect craft activity helps in formation of these body movements.

Introduce the use of scissors, paper, clay and paints to have the perfect bonding time with your child over the weekend.

Beware parents as craft activity can turn out messy but isn’t that what your child wants. Complete freedom to use all sorts of material like craft paper, glue, colors and see how they surprise you by creating something which was completely unimaginable.

When you plan to have a craft activity with your child, keep these tips handy to have the most joyful and creative experience with your children.

• Allow your child to explore whatever it is that you give them, it could be the material or the time  or even it could be the place you are doing the craft activity let them choose ; let them be the boss.
• Do not force your child to act or listen to your instructions in a certain way at this age kid’s creativity is more about having fun.
• Do not expect to complete the project the same day when you started. As you are aware kids have a short span of attention and hence give them the freedom to come back to the craft whenever they want to, it could be the next day too.
• Sometimes going to messy way works; kids love the fact that they have control over whatever is there on the table.
• Try and introduce new material with a new craft activity, like handmade craft, different type of colors etc. Give them a new material every time.

It is important for us to understand that activities like these focus more on the process of creating something and exploring the minds rather than the outcome. So do not get depressed or disheartened if the outcome is not pretty or a beautiful piece rather compliment your child for the use of the colors and the little art piece that he or she has created.

Start with small exercises like drawing and painting, sticking between the lines coloring the circles etc. Lots of pasting are gluing activities are also introduced at this age.