Creative Arts and Crafts for Toddlers

Toddlers care about the doing, not the result. That's called process art: there's no right way to do it and no finished example to copy. When your 2-year-old covers a page in brown paint, they've practiced grip, color mixing and cause and effect.

Describe what they're doing instead of praising the result. Say “You made big round circles!” instead of “That's beautiful.” It keeps them focused on the experience and builds vocabulary at the same time.

You don't need a craft store run. Most of these use things you already have.

• Painter's tape art: stick tape on paper, let them paint over it, then peel the tape off together.
• Bath-time paint: shaving cream with a drop of food coloring on the tub wall. Cleanup is built in.
• Ice painting: freeze water with food coloring in an ice cube tray, then “paint” on paper as it melts.
• Nature collage: collect leaves and flowers on a walk, stick them to contact paper.
• Homemade playdough: flour, salt, water, oil and a little cream of tartar, mixed and kneaded together.

Choose non-toxic, washable supplies labeled for young children, and supervise closely since everything goes in the mouth. Skip glitter, beads, googly eyes, pompoms and anything small enough to choke on until your child is older. If something is swallowed, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.

For more creative ideas as your child grows, see creative play guides and the DIY learning activities for toddlers. The toddler activity toolkit also covers physical play and early talking skills.

Toddlers produce a lot of art. Take a photo of each piece and save only a few favorites. One idea: keep a dated folder per year and let your child pick one piece a month to keep. Years later, it's a fun way to see how they've grown. Share your best toddler craft wins in the Phenomenal Fatherhood community so other dads can try them too.