Okay, so we all know it’s important for kids to be creative and express themselves from a very young age. I’ve encouraged every one of my kids since they were born to express who they are through different activities, such as dancing, drawing, music, or even Play-Doh.
Old school now, right?
It is so important that your child does this from a young age to not only give them them the courage to express who they are as they grow up, keep them inspired and motivated, but also to help them develop a fun and happy lifestyle where they are encouraged for their hard work, no matter what it is.
I’ve also talked about this on our blog before on our blog post about, Is It Normal for Your Toddler to Be Shy and today’s blog post will help your child not be shy or grow out of being shy.
Just recently, I’ve started teaching my 3rd and youngest child who is in his toddler years now how to express himself properly.
Don’t ask me how, but let’s just say, there’s spaghetti all over the kitchen walls.
Yeah. That’s how it’s going…
Because my energetic little boy is quite a little artist when it comes to food on the walls, I’ve decided to come up with a variety of different activities for him to do to help him grow, learn, and have fun (that won’t ruin my household items).
Because of this, I’ve been doing extensive research on some inspiring online parenting forums and blogs on what are some really fun and exciting DIY projects for toddlers to do, and I want share with you some of my DIY Crafts for Toddlers!
So, if you’re looking for something fun and exciting to do with you toddler this weekend, just keep on reading! Whether you adopt a freestyle or forced parenting approach with your children, all activities are perfect for both.
OUR LATEST TRENDING BLOG POST: How to Look After Yourself in the First Few Months of Having A Child
DIY Craft Ideas For Toddlers
1 ♥ A Sweet, Simple, Springtime Crossword Puzzle
I mean, what idea screams fun and educational more than this one?
Let’s be real,
Sometimes it’s impossible to get kids to learn something new (and sometimes they ‘hiss’ at the word ‘educational’.
Or, is that just my kids?
So tricking them into learning something the fun way has always been my number one go-to method. And as summer is approaching, it means not only is it a good idea to keep your kids minds fresh for school coming in the fall, but it also means it’s time for more ‘full-time’ mom duties, and for a working mama, this can be difficult.
So keeping your kids busy and distracted away from TV and gadgets (which we talk about here) with fun activities is ideal so you can also get your work done and have more free time to spend with them later!
And to make this a little more DIY, you can actually create the crossword with your baby. You can have them illustrate the borders, and help pick out words, mix it up, and then have them find the words and sound them out to you. It’s simple, easy, and a great way to keep your child’s mind buzzing,.
So what’re you waiting for?
RELATED BLOG POST: 12 to 24 Months: Is Your Toddler Following Healthy Sleeping Habits?
2 ♥ Colorful And Creative Hand & Fingerprint Art
This one never fails to bring laughter and smile to my kids faces (because, like my husband, they like to cause a mess!).
It is so easy, exciting, and it can keep your babies busy for hours!
All you do is select a few colors of paint, lay down some paper or some cloth you don’t mind forfeiting for their masterpiece, and let them put their hands and fingers in the paint to create their own beautiful creation.
If you want to make this more educational, tell them to create a picture of a certain thing, like a tree, or a mountain, and tell them to select ‘summer’ or ‘winter’ colors and let them decide which colors those are (no hints!). This is an excellent activity for kids that like to create things with their hands, and who enjoy causing a destructive mess (once again, the definition of my kids).
For more fantastic craft ideas for kids, check out this website, MyGrowingCreativeLife.com. Nikole talks about many different, fun, and exciting activities for your kids to do this summer. In-particular I love this one here which I recently did myself (just over the weekend) to give to my daughter’s friend as a gift. A great gift for young crafty kids 🙂 Isn’t it just fantastic?
3 ♥ Make a Clock & Learn the Time
If you’re looking for other educational DIY project ideas this summer alongside this one, I would highly suggest you also take a look this idea. This is another fantastic DIY project that will help to teach your kids the importance of telling time through fun ways!
Remember, what’s important is helping them learn lessons in ways that they enjoy, which will help make their future education in public schools so much easier!
It’s important as a parent to get involved in your children’s play time in order to help and assist them meeting their developmental stages. For more information you can visit Ryeandryebrookmoms and this handy Child Development Checklist!
4 ♥ Letter Art
Again, this one isn’t my idea, but I wish I had come up with this instead of just writing the alphabet down and trying to teach my children the boring way. This blog also had the ‘tell your time’ idea, but they also had this great idea of mixing crafts and education together.
Why not start teaching your children the alphabet and letters by making letter art? They will not only enjoy the crafty process, but they will be learning and you will be able to display their letter art around the home so they can visually be more connected to the alphabet.
I love this idea and your toddlers will aswell.
5 ♥ Rainy Day Rainbow Torn Paper Art
Another incredible little blog post I was reading about ideas for toddler projects also mentioned the importance of art-inspired babies exercising their personalities through there creations, and also listed a ton of different ways you can do this, in the blog post here Terrific Rainy Day Ideas!
This one, like the hand and fingerprint art above, is super fun and really allows a child to express themselves in ways you may not have even known before! It is so much heartwarming to watch my kids sit there and decide what they want to create, with what colors, and what shapes, without any guidance from me!
My 18 month toddler sat down the other day and created his first and very own work of torn paper art of a fish in the water, a mountain in the background, and Mickey Mouse too.
And no spaghetti was on the walls this time – phew!
It touched my heart to see what really goes on in his mind, and how beautiful it is when its displayed on paper. All you will need is a box of crayons, a big sheet of paper, and a bunch of colorful papers. Let them draw something on the big paper with their crayons, and show your baby how you can rip the papers to create shapes and place them inside the crayon drawing to add beautiful color!
Trust me, they are going to have a field day with it! If they are hesitant about this at first, do a couple projects with them, or ask them to create a rainbow with the torn papers (kids love rainbows, so this is sure to inspire them!).
Overall, seeing your child laugh, smile, and have fun is the most joyous part of being a parent in my book. When I know my child is being creative, having fun, and learning all in one, well, let’s just say, I’m doing a bit of a happy dance!
I would highly suggest you incorporate these toddler craft ideas and others into your child’s everyday routine to bond with them, encourage them, and inspire them to believe in themselves no matter what task is at hand. And what better way to do that then spending time laughing, learning, and creating beautiful memories with an incredibly supportive and loving mom and dad?
