Prepare For The Mess
Work somewhere that you don’t mind getting messy. If it’s a nice day, you can work outside. If you’re crafting indoors, then you will need to protect your work surface. I use an old bed sheet to cover my table, but you can use plastic or newspaper just as easily.
You’ll also want to cover them up. There’s plenty of cute art smocks if you want to spend the money. They’ll look adorbs in their little artist getup, but I just use an old hand-me-down tee and call it good. It’s just going to get paint and what not all over it anyway.
Let Them Do It Themselves
Don’t get caught up in how things “should” look, let them do as much as possible on their own. This builds up their confidence and their motor skills. I know my two year old wants to be independent and this is a great way of letting him express himself.
Keep Cleaning Supplies On Hand
There’s bound to be a spill at some point, so it’s just easier to be prepared. It also makes clean up that much easier when craft time is over.
Don’t Push Craft Time
If your toddler is not in the mood, don’t force it. It will just stress you out and make them resent craft time. Just store your supplies until you are ready to try again– however long that may be.
Do Crafts They Already Love
There are so many creative projects out there. Find what your toddler enjoys and do more of that. For my 2 year old, “paint” is already firmly established in his vocabulary. I have to hide the paints because he will make his masterpieces on everything. So, any time we can do an activity that involves paint, he’s happy.
Gear your crafts around what you know your toddler likes. If you find your toddler uninterested in the craft, spice it up by adding something they like.
They will beam with pride when they see their creation complete.
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