Drawing from experience and Molding minds: Arts and Crafts for toddlers

Humans have an innate need to create. Whether it be monuments to our own greatness, artistic expressions, or even new generations of more humans; it is only a matter of time until we try to change the world around us in some way or another. Toddlers have this inclination as well, but all too often that means they are looking to express this creativity on the blank canvas that are the walls of your home. Young children aged 18 months to 4 years old will learn a lot from arts and craft activities but they need guidance.

One of the most common art activities for toddlers is finger paint. It combines the tactile experience that toddlers crave: getting slightly messy while getting to feel the paint and make the artwork on the page. Another popular variation would be to use a stamp carved from a potato to allow for a more repetitive pattern. 

A more structured art experience in colouring is also good thing to introduce to your child. The dexterity needed to hold the crayon and the practice of colouring within the lines will prepare young children to one day, write. 

Sensory activities such as sorting tasks can be worked on by colour coding the crafts or structuring them based on the shapes of items. Crafts are a great way to allow play during learning, as they can encompass any subjects you so choose: animals, letters of the alphabet, or seasonal-based projects, to name a few. 

Something as simple as stickering up a toy box or favourite scrapbook is a very fun, very useful task for your toddler to complete. They will get a fun, personalized item from it and also have the accomplishment of having done it themselves. 

Make sure you get some sidewalk chalk so that your little one can colour in the summer and draw to their heart’s content. They can draw freely, use sidewalk blocks as cartoon strips, or help you make a fun hop-scotch game that you can all enjoy afterwards. Let them mark up the driveway and sidewalk knowing that clean-up can be left until the next rainfall.

Toddlers are in an interesting stage in their life where most of their learning is done through immersion, not through schooling. The more active and interactive they are, the more their brains will develop. Arts and crafts are an excellent option for keeping children learning while they remain engaged in the task. Just keep an eye on them though, thinking outside of the box is good; while colouring on the walls is not.