Ideas for a Toddler Art Group?

[Taryn237]

I just glanced at the toddler craft idea thread but I think this is a little different.

I'm inviting 6 moms and their 1 - 2.5 year old toddlers into my home once a week for art. Ahh! So I'm very excited but a little overwhelmed at the mess factor already. Does anyone have tips/advice?

I just got First Art by Susan Striker but haven't been able to read it yet. I'm just planning on having them paint this week. A good edible paint recipe would be great too.

[LaughingHyena]

I run a parent and toddler group and we try to have a craft type activity every couple of weeks.

I find the kids are quite happy with open ended stuff (ie just give them glue sticks and cut up bits of paper to stick type things) but a lot of the parents prefer the "make something" type crafts and are more likely to get involved with their little ones on those days.

So I do things like cut out fish shapes from coloured paper and give the kids blue paper. Last week I printed out some very simple colouring pages and gave them bits of tissue paper to scrunch up and stick on.

To protect tables/floors we have a couple of shower curtains, very cheep and easy to rinse off. I hose them down with the shower then hang out to dry.

For the children I made some apons out of cheep fabric, their not waterproof but they stop most splashes getting on clothes. For the really little ones we use long sleeved bibs. In a pinch I've also used clothes pegs to attach a sheet of newspaper over the children's clothes.

For painting I found shallow dishes to hold the paint worked much better than pots, less easy to knock over. I out a couple of brushes out in each colour to start with but they all end up murky brown quite quickly

We also keep a bowl of damp rags handy with another bowl for the used ones.

I beginning to ramble now but I hope some of that is useful

[Erinok]

"I'm inviting 6 moms and their 1 - 2.5 year old toddlers into my home once a week for art. "



YOU'RE SO BRAVE!!!!!
fabulous idea though
good luck with it

[jfrancis123]

here's a fingerpaint recipe:

http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=27678

[Callimom]

Check out the Artful Parent blog. Its about a woman who runs a toddler (preschoo?) art program. You might get ideas there.

[Miss Information]

I thought this was kind of nifty.



"Embroidery" for toddlers