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I am a daycare mum to 18 month old twins, I have tried all the usual arts and craft with them - they eat the playdough, paint, stamps - they draw all over my table with the texta's - I am at a loss as to what to do with them. My kids grew up with Art and Craft so even my two year old will sit there for ages and use the stuff properly. I would really appreciate any suggestions - Thanks:D
Sorry I'm not a huge help but I found that my toddler at 18mths loved drawing with thick chalk on the backyard concrete path & inside drawing on a big paper pad with thick crayons (89c a pkt from Go-Lo or The Warehouse) & drawing on a sketch-a-doodle ... & painting with a brush dipped in water on concrete too :)
... and when she turned 2, yeh out come the play-doh & crayola washable textas for little hands - Texta marks come out of clothing in the wash - Brilliant !!! ($3.99 a pkt of 8 textas from Target) ;)
I'm starting to run out of ideas myself for my 2 year old for indoor arts & craft for this Winter season :rolleyes:
As an early childhood teacher, I have lots of ideas, but if you don't want mess or the children to eat the craft stuff then I would say there's ot much you really could do with them.
At 18mths, children are very tactils and like to explore by touch, especially orally. I would say buy edible paints, or better yet make you own with corn flour water and food colourings, make your own dough/goop and do it all outside on the grass at a table, or on a verandah that can be hosed. Be prepared for them to eat it and get it all over them, that's the best bit for babies!!!
Smiles4u has great ideas with the water on concrete, sketch-a-doodle and chalk on concrete.
If you have to be inside, do it on tiles/lino, with a big plastic sheet taped down and have a cloth or tap at close hand and an old towel to wash them with after.
Just curious - are the kids boys? I've noticed boys and girls seem to play very differently at that age, difficult to get boys to sit still.
I have a playdoh and crayon eater here. How about stickers? Mine likes stickers.
Maybe finger painting with whipped cream? Then it doesn't matter too much if all the do is eat it.
To be honest, I haven't found that my 20month old boy is able to sit still for that long. But I agree with Kel, your best bet is with stuff that's tactile - maybe a walk outside to collect things like leaves and sticks and then stickytape them to paper?
Thanks alot for all the ideas - Firstly it's not me that minds the mess, if anything I have more fun! Its there father he gets cranky when they go home really messy, the chalk is a good idea I have lots in my Art and Craft shed so I will get some out today. Secondly yes they are boys but my boys (I have three and one girl) were doing all that messy stuff at that age, I also used to look after a 11 month old girl would absolutely love to paint and didn't eat all that much. These boys are premmie twins so are really small for their age and have just learnt to walk so even the walking around the backyard to get leaves and things is a struggle for them right now. To Smiles4u the best book I ever bought for my children was 501Activities for kids by Di Hodges - it has things in it like - twig weaving, photo puzzles, marble paintings and funny feet. It's great from two and up, my family has alot of fun with it.