I'm looking for easy art projects that both my 1 and 3 year old can do together/at the same time. I don't seem to find much time for prep work, and honestly am intimidated by the mess factor, but know they will really enjoy more art activities. Any suggestions?
Thanks for all the ideas, I totally forgot about the Color Wonder and that has already been a hit. I will be sure to give everything else a try too. Thanks!
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She was a kindergarten teacher that is now staying home with her son. she posts all of the fun art activities she does with him.
My older one likes gluing things down but I hate what he does with glue sticks. I usually cut out pictures of healthy foods, animals, and anything from nature when I get catalogues, mailings, etc. (I also cut out pictures of cars from dealership ads since I have boys). We use them for glueing weird collages but sometimes we just fingerpaint and he arranges the pictures in the paint. You could do this with scraps of paper, cloth, etc.
They could both paint with their feet. I'm actually planning on doing this soon with my kids--just lay down lots of butcher paper or newspaper (outside if you can) and be prepapred to help them keep from slipping. Strip them down if you can and then let them wash off. You can use cut-outs from crafts like these for "card stock" for notes to family and friends.
You can also go on a walk and collect things you could use in a collage of some kind, either with glue, or, gross as it might sound, in mud or plaster. Mud is much more fun, and both kids will probably be thrilled to get to play in it.
It is also fun to take toy cars and drive them through paint and make tracks.
Finger painting! In pudding! On the table! I know, I cringe just thinking about it but they love it. :-)
My boyfriend has a 2.5 year old and I live with them. I love doing art projects. Sometimes I do the prep work the day (or 2 before). Or I keep things in our art drawer ready to go.
For one activity, i cut up a bunch of construction paper to make confetti. This took maybe 5 minutes. Cutting things like confetti and keeping it in a bag can save you a lot of prep work because you can use it for a lot of different projects. For this particular project I cut a white diamond shaped piece of paper and I let him color whatever he wanted on it first. Then we glued the confetti (and some pom poms) on to decorate a kite. For a 3 year old you can let them put glue where he wants and for a 1 year old you can put the glue on and spread it around the paper with your finger and let them place the confetti on wherever.
We do art projects every week and the mess is getting less and less because he is gaining the skills to hold the brush, or the glue or whatever else and not make a big mess. We do a lot of paper plate projects. For example we made a lady bug out of 2 paper plates. I also saved a toilet paper roll and painted it and put a head on, we made it a frog but you can really do any animal. It becomes a puppet. We used a paper plate for the paint and then I let him paint the plate with the excess, cut it later to be the lily pad. These can be messy though with the 1 year old.
If you want, sometimes you can just give the 1 year old a crayon and let them go to town on a piece of paper while you work with the 3 year old on another project if the 1 year old doesn't mind.
Oh also, we do this right before bathtime. We also do it at the kitchen table and cover it with old newspaper so it can just be thrown away.
I also love the color wonder line. Might I suggest that you let them do art outside? I have a fisher price picnic table outside and I just let my 2 year old go out in just her panties and go wild! Clean up is easy, especially in the summer. Just let them play in the water after that! Oh, and finger painting with colored pudding is a great suggestion! If you have a dog, clean up is a snap! lol!
I second the Color Wonder mention. The whole Color Wonder product line is awesome!!! :)
Color Wonder Finger paints are awesome! Also, Color Wonder markers and coloring books.
