Best Art Supplies for Toddlers

Making Art At Home: My Favorite Art Supplies for Toddlers

When I was an art teacher,

my two mantras were:

It’s the Process Not the Product

and…

There Are No Mistakes In Art

(mistakes are opportunities for new ideas/discoveries)

So many moms are intimidated by

creating/crafting/or making art

with their children,

especially very young children.

In this series of posts,

I will provide lists of some of my

favorite art and craft materials

for Toddlers,

Preschoolers,

and School-Age Children.

If you don’t know where to get started with your kids,

my first piece of advice is to

Keep It Simple

Don’t get in over your head

or do something you’re uncomfortable with

or you AND your kids

won’t have fun.

Toddlers need you to participate in these experiences WITH them.
They’re too little to be left alone
with art materials.

If you hand your child a box of crayons,
then get on the phone or step in the shower
you’re asking for a mural (or worse)
upon your return!

I actually received an email today that read,

“I have a two year old that pulls apart

and basiclly destroys everything that I make.

craft is no fun….. 🙁

I really want to get him involved???

have you had this problem”

Yes and No.

Here’s my reply:

“Yes, of course we all run into the problem of the captain-destructo age of 2+,
that’s how our youngest daughter got her nickname of Mini-Saurus
because she destroyed everything my older daughter was playing with.
I recommend focusing on sensory experiences
and playing with materials
rather than trying to actually make anything.
I think a lot of moms are in the same situation as you.”

My first born, “E” is my natural artist.

She has loved art from the very beginning

and showed a natural aptitude for it.

She could spend hours in my studio

painting watercolors,

coloring,

sculpting with play-doh,

gluing collages, etc.

Imagine my surprise when my second daughter “C”

arrived and didn’t really care to spend much

time crafting or creating.

If she’s in the right mood,

she’ll humor me and spend time on a project

of her choice but most of the time

it seems like she’s more interested in

“how fast can I get this done so I can go do something else”

If you’re trying to create

a cookie-cutter project

with a VERY young child –

you may end up with

two frustrated parties:

you and the child.

When I say “cookie cutter” you know these projects…

the ones that come home from preschool

or mommy and me classes at the library –

paper plate fish

and

toilet paper tube space ships…

With this age,

I focus on materials

and the sensory experience

of creating and exploring

with that medium.

Don’t worry about what you end up with

when it’s all over.

So here’s my list for “making art”

and “Craftivities” with toddlers (2-3 years):

1. (If your child isn’t too oral…)

I love Play-Doh with this age

(home made is my favorite and non-toxic)

Favorite Recipe:

1 Packet of Kool Aid

1 Cup of Flour

1/2 Cup Salt

3 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil

1 Cup of Boiling Water

Mix dry ingredients first,

then add wet and stir with a spoon.

It will be hot so do this part

out of reach of little fingers —

I like to knead the dough

on a sheet of waxed paper

on my cold granite counter tops

to cool it down quickly

so we can go play!

It’s quick (and cheap)

and the smell and color are really fun.

Playing with dough at this age

builds fine motor coordination

and strengthens their little hand

and finger muscles

to prepare them for writing later.

Get out some cookie cutters,

or just roll snakes and balls.

Smoosh it,

add some stones

or little plastic animals

(polly pockets)

and make foot prints/

clothing, etc.

I keep ours in a tupperware

in the fridge when we’re done.

2. Food Coloring

* You can color water

and experiment with eye droppers

(save the ones from infant medicine

and wash them)

Mix on paper towels, drop on a white plate,

mix colored water in little cups or bowls.

* Make colored ice cubes

to play with in the tub.

* Mix with Vanilla Pudding

for (edible) finger paint!

Finger paint on a clean high chair tray

or plate.

Experiment with Mixing Colors.

You can make a color wheel that you can eat

with pudding and food coloring!

* Mix Food Coloring with Cornstarch

and water to make

non-toxic and washable

Sidewalk and Driveway Paint!

3. Soy Crayon Rocks

Easy to hold.

Non-Toxic.

Blend beautifully.

Planet Friendly: No petroleum (like traditional crayons).

4. A BIG PAD

of Drawing Paper

It’s easier to use than a small sheet

at this age

because they’ll color with their whole arm

and it won’t get away from them

or rip as easily.

Put it on the floor,

get down there with them

and start scribbling!

5. Sidewalk Chalk

A classic in our house.

We always have a colored

driveway and patio.

Just follow the trail down the

sidewalk to our house!

You can color mazes

to follow, hop scotch,

alphabets,

shapes,

numbers, etc!

6. Sensory Boxes

(not technically an art supply)

Wonderful for

fine motor skills,

imaginative play,

and exposure to different tactile experience.

But, in order for this to work,
you the mom have to be willing to deal with some mess,
putting it on the floor on top of a small
table cloth makes it easier to clean up
when you’re done.

At first, your child will need some help
learning how to keep most of it in the box
and may need a gentle reminder
if they start throwing it everywhere.

Something like, “I see this is too exciting right now,
why don’t we put this away (in the garage, in another room out of sight)
and we’ll play with it again after nap/lunch/tomorrow
when you’ll be ready to keep it in the box.”

This way, you’re not screaming like mommy dearest
but you are letting your child know, gently,
that there is a right way to play with the sensory box.

Once they get the hang of it,
you will even be able to do things like
fold a load of laundry or start dinner
while your child/children play peacefully with the box.

This may be obvious, but
only bring out one box at a time
unless you want a giant mess to deal with later.

It can be very meditative scooping and pouring
and calm-inducing if you’re working with
sand/rice/or oat meal.

I use plastic (under bed style) storage boxes,

and fill them with:

Rice (colored or plain)

Oatmeal

Clean Aquarium Gravel

Small Gravel

Sand

Dried Beans or Peas

Popcorn Kernels

Paper Easter Grass