Favorite toddler crafts?

We have the usual playdoh, crayons, markers, finger paints etc but I'm looking for something new. Any ideas?

We recently spend some time dying pasta different colors, so dd can string them into necklaces. We used left-over Easter egg dye and it ws really easy. DD enjoyed dropping the pasta into the dye, but I don't have a toddler-appropriate needle for threading, so we haven't really done that part yet.

Making playdoh can be kind of fun, too, especially with Kool-Aid so it smells nice. Lots of recipes online.

I thought I would feel so virtuous after doing this, so fulfilled to be doing wonderful things with my child, but I just look at my rainbow ziplock baggy and realize that it so does not make me a better parent then if I'd just let her play with her little people, or color, that morning! It was kinda fun to do, but totally not necessary! I think it will be a while before I do any other fancy crafts...

We make pasta collages. I just put all different shapes and colors of pasta on a paper plate. He chooses what to use and he and I both put glue on construction paper and then he puts the pasta on (or sometimes I do the spaghetti). He likes breaking spaghetti and lasagna noodles into pieces. This would probably be an easier craft for me if he was older, but he likes it.

Similarly, DS is currently addicted to string art. We bought some yarn and I let DS use a glue stick on construction paper. We cut the yarn in various lengths. He either puts the string where he wants it or tells me how he wants it (sometimes he wants to do a spiral and can't do that himself). I make sure the ends of the different pieces of yarn are stuck to the paper.

We do watercolor painting too. Have you tried that? I like it much better than other kinds of painting - less messy.

An interesting one we did (but stopped because it got messy) was salt art. All you do is put coarse salt (you could probably use regular salt too) in a jelly roll pan and give your child a brush. He/she can "paint" and when done, you shake the pan and start over. DS really liked this, but then started brushing salt over the edge onto the floor on purpose, so we had to stop.

familyfun.com has some fun crafts. We did a butterfly several times that DS likes. He colors with markers on 2 1/2 pieces of construction paper, I fold each piece like a fan and then attach them together with a pipe cleaner to make the butterfly's body and antennae. We actually did these for grandmothers for Mother's Day, but he asked to make them again.

Paint with water is fun too. I got some paint with water books for $.99, so not too expensive either.

Another thing we do is stamping. I found a set of stamps with a stamp pad at Target. He likes this, but I do have to ink the stamps for him. He just lightly puts it on the stamp pad and you really have to rub it to get enough ink.

Another thing we do - not really a craft, though - is cook. I let DS scoop ingredients into measuring cups, add them to mixing bowls, beat eggs, mix dry ingredients, roll pie dough, knead bread dough, cut or scoop cookies, add chopped ingredients to a pan or whatever. Using appliances is a big hit too.

We recently went to a restaurant that gave Wikky Stix to DS instead of the usual crayons/coloring books. These are kind of cool and would be different. They are waxed sticks that you can twist into different shapes and design and they stick together. http://store.yahoo.com/creativekidst...tfunacset.html (we didn't get the activity board at the restaurant - just the sticks).

DD likes making "glueless" collages. I tape some clear contact paper to the table sticky side up and then peel the backing off. She sticks fabric scraps, yarn pieces, paper pieces, leaves, etc on. It's fairly mess free, and then we stick the finished product on the sliding glass door (which is really pretty if you use various color and sizes of tissue paper, since it catches the sun)

Lisa

That sounds cool. We'll have to try it.

One other thing I thought of is stickers. DS loves those foam stickers that you can get at Michaels. He could spend lots of time just sticking those on paper.

Shoelaces! That's what we used in class when I was a preschool teacher. No needle needed! Or take long pieces of string and put clear tape around the ends to make them stiff enough to push through the pasta easily.

We just discovered model magic. It's not cheap but dd really likes it. I got an assortment of buttons, beads, feathers, cut up pieces of straw and pipe cleaner and she stuck all different bits in to make a 'sculpture'.
Also at walmart in the craft section they have clay models for 50c, I just got a turtle so we are going to paint it tomorrow.

What is model magic? :-)

It's modelling clay, a bit like play doh but really light and dries in 24 hrs. So if your DC wants you to mould something have something in mind before you open the packet as mine was so lame I didn't know what to mould! It's not reusable, so once you open the packet you have to use it all up as it dries out. I got a box of 6 sachets for about $5.50. It has blue, red, 2 white,black and yellow. You can mix it together to make it swirly.....We haven't done that yet.
It's made by Crayola