Yayyy, Part II of our series on crafting with toddlers is finally here! A few weeks ago Chennelle over at Maturing Mama came to me with a boatload of questions about how to craft with toddlers. This two part series answers all of her questions and more. You can read her wonderful follow up post here. I just love how she used these tips to overcome any anxiety associated with crafting with her girls.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, this post comes just in time And just in time for all of the fun crafts your kids will make. I’ll be honest, when my kids starting asking to do crafts I had a very hard time figuring it all out. Plus we were on a tight budget and there came times where I thought crafting just wasn’t going to be a “thing” for our family. Low and behold (and with the help of a very stubborn 3 year old), we somehow converted over to crafting and here we are today. I’m confident after reading this you’ll be converted to crafting too! You can read Part I of this series here.
Question 5: Do you have a routine of steps that’s applicable to every craft time that your kids know?
Yes! Nothing strategic though. I tell the kids to wait until I’m done getting everything set up. Then I will show them what we are making. Half the battle is getting things set up… If you do some prep when they are sleeping you will be set to go! Prepping is ideal with little ones and larger groups.
Question 6: What is the most affordable way to get craft materials for parents on a budget?
- Keep a supply of cheap materials on hand! Dollar store colored paper and crayons, coloring books, paper plates, paper cups, glue sticks always check there FIRST!
- Use recycled materials. I love this one because it teaches kids to be resourceful and not wasteful. Empty toilet paper tubes, empty water bottles and milk cartons, egg cartons, get creative! I love to just save things I would normally throw away and then do a Pinterest search with the item… you can make almost anything into a fun craft!
- Make your own. From finger paints to play dough… you can make your own and SAVE! Bonus, you can customize colors and more. The kids love picking new colors for our play dough and adding sparkles. You can find our Raspberry Sparkle Play dough recipe here. (Also perfect for Valentine’s Day coming up!)
In my honest opinion, crafting is even more fun when your’re on a budget because you get to be extra creative and resourceful!
Question 7: Is it best to get the kids changed into other clothes for a craft?
It depends on the craft. I’ll be honest that my kids love wearing next to nothing, so most times I just let them craft shirtless outside (weather permitting of course!) and then it’s off to the bath. I honestly prefer to craft this way sometimes because no one is stressed about messes and the kids always look forward to cleaning up in a warm bubble bath afterwards
Another option is a little art smock. I bought one here at Ikea that was super affordable. If you can’t buy one, you can make one using a trash bag with a hole cut out for their head. My kids loved wearing their trash bag “smocks” and it made for some fun and silly photos too!
Question 8: Do you schedule a specific amount of time for a craft or let the kids keep going for as long as they want?
In our experience one craft doesn’t take very long. Especially toddler crafts. They are done in 15 minutes TOPS. But aside from scheduled crafts we do a lot of “open-ended crafting” which means I get the kids set up with some basic supplies like paints or crayons, markers and let them create their little hearts out. In our house it’s simply called “art time”. We sometimes listen to music too and when I’m feeling fancy, I play classics. It’s a treasured time!
Question 9: In your opinion what part of the day is the “best time” for kids
The best time for us is mid-morning or mid-afternoon (after naptime if they still take naps). For open-ended “art time” though any time is a great time! My kids are old enough to both enjoy water color paints now so lately they’ve been all about it for their art time.
Making art and crafts has been such a blessing in our home! Watching the kids proudly display their artwork fills up their sweet little love tanks and Mommy and Daddy’s too! I really hope these easy tips inspired you to get creating with your own kids too. And don’t forget to stop by Chennelle’s follow-up post here!Happy Crafting!
