non-messy crafts to occupy a 2 yr old?

Alice and I are spending the afternoon at a friend's house where the tentative plan is for the adults to knit, embroider, maybe make some jewelry, but she'll be the only little one there. I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that she'll need most of my attention, but I'd at least like to try to bring some things to help keep her occupied. I'm figuring the closer they are to what we're doing the more likely she'll enjoy them. Any ideas???

I'm bringing her markers, crayons and paper as well as some playdoh, but I'd also like to get her some new stuff that she'll be using for the first time that day. Do they still make those big wooden beads that string on a shoestring? I've been thinking about some stamps if anyone makes a washable ink stampad. Have plenty of yarn and popsicle sticks but not sure what to have her do with either.

Will look around the craft store tomorrow but was hoping someone here might have some creative ideas!

Thanks!

ROFL!!!!!! I am envisioning you trying to keep a 2 yo out of crafts that the adults have their hands on!! LOL, LOL, LOL!!!!!

Welllll... I would get some cheap yarn for her, and maybe a Q hook or a couple big sticks for her to "crochet" or "knit" with. She can sit there and pull out all the yarn and wrap them around the sticks. I've seen big beads with string, but I'm not sure where right now. But try a toy store or Discovery Toys for that.

HTH! (still chuckling!)

>ROFL!!!!!! I am envisioning you trying to keep a 2 yo out of
>crafts that the adults have their hands on!! LOL, LOL,
>LOL!!!!!

A lost cause I know :P ! She doesn't usually come but Daddy's out of town and we're giving it a try. I'm prepared for a crazy time and a quick escape if necessary. There's actually a lot of stuff of ours she can play with, but I thought we'd try her own stuff too. I'm definitely going to get a big crochet hook! already have the cheap yarn. Thanks for that idea.

Anyone else have thoughts on this hopeless cause :)?

Someone posted (in toys I think) about the Crayola no mess fingerpaints - where you use the special Color Wonder paper and all. I am smiling ruefully because I had this VERY experience yesterday. I had a group of women over to scrapbook and DH was flying so...

I pretty much resigned myself to a scrapless day and I wasn't far off. I have some stamps that DD can use, but she has to be supervised so that she doesn't stamp the table, the rug, HERSELF! She did 'help' a few of the ladies with their pages, mainly with their stamping, and I tried to keep her somewhat comatose with videos, but she was having none of that with all the stuff going on around her!

They do have those lacing beads for toddlers. I'm not sure where to tell you to look. We got them at our Base Exchange and they were made by Soldier Bear (the military's generic brand). So maybe in someplace a simple as Walmart? We got about 24 beads and 2-3 shoestrings for about $3. I would think that if you are going to the hobby store you could probably pik out some big beads and shoelaces. Try to get square beads if at all possible (otherwise you will be crawling around looking under every surface for all the beads that rolled away.)

Good luck, and tell us what worked!

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to Noelle (2 2/3)
Architect in a previous life!

Thanks Jen!

The day turned out not to be as ridiculous as it sounded :). I never found the beads but I did find a bag of big shiny gold buttons at a craft store and then just bought some shoelaces at the grocery store. This kept her occupied quite a while! We were embossing little tiles to make into bracelets so while we did that she sat at the table with us and played with the same stamps on paper. We were also using these pens to paint the tiles and she would take her own pens and kind of paint her buttons too which was very cute. She drew a little and danced a bit, and we actually managed to stay 4 hours and I finished a bracelet.

An unlimited number of cookies helped too!

Thanks for the tip about square beads. I never would have thought about that and I am sooooo tired of crawling on the floor for all things round in our house. :)

For people who might be looking at this for future reference, DS had a really tough time with the laces for a long time, but loved the beads. So, we used the beads (and he could use really small beads(although that can get messy) with pipe cleaners. Since they're stiffer, they were easier for him to manipulate. And kept him happy for a really long time.

kidsurplus has some Melissa and Doug lacing beads and some Haba ones in shapes like pets, cars, clothes. They don't roll. (They're flat, cookie-cutter style.)

And, being computer geeks, we string them on cable ties! Actually, it was a friend who looked at the beads and when I explained that they were meant to be threaded the friend fetched out a handful of multicolored cable ties. They're cheap, brightly colored, and not as scratchy as pipe cleaners. Plus everyone I know owns a package of at least a hundred, from which they have used, oh, a dozen. Before that, DD just had the Haba ones, which come with a stick to be used like a needle. She enjoyed putting the stick through them, and she gets quite upset if you put the beads on the string that came with them. The cable ties are OK though.