"special" toddler crafts

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Apr 27 2022, 11:16 am

Going anon because I am embarrassed at not being able to do my job.

I run art and craft programs for school-age kids and teens. For the next semester, they are adding a toddler group to the program. It is supposed to be a "higher standard" type of program - not your average paper or paint craft. But the kids are 2, maybe some just turning 3 years old. They don't have any skills beyond coloring or painting. They're not supposed to, they're babies. They go to preschool where they spend half the day doing things like gluing cotton balls to paper plates, and that's age appropriate and wonderful.

I'm absolutely not doing anything that has the teacher doing it all instead of the kid. I'm not sure how big the group is so I also can't use anything that could be a choking or toxicity risk (which I would do if I were personally supervising one child) So no beads, buttons, etc unless I find out that the staff to child ratio is very high.

I tried telling the employer that this is a silly idea and a waste of time and money and they should just stick to the basics at that age. But it seems I'm still on the hook. Please help! I need to plan 8 sessions for about a half hour each!

amother

Azalea

Wed, Apr 27 2022, 11:24 am

Give them something cool to paint,

Paint Blocks-now they are coming home with a toy.

Huge pinwheel. Use neon, sparkly paint.

Foam paint canvas in pastel colors

I think if you use expensive medium, painting and coloring will be special!

And you send home a note. Fancy. Not we painted blocks today, rather we explored painting 3dimensional objects using impressionistic style.

Rachel Shira

Wed, Apr 27 2022, 11:28 am

Things like
Stained glass decorations with contact paper shapes and tissue paper squares.
A collaborative mural with different mediums
Or a progressive painting on a canvas where they add a layer of paint or a new medium each time
Wood challah boards that they decorate with any age appropriate paint or markers (search on pinterest for methods)
If girls - glass candlesticks with puffy paint
I’ll think of more if these are on the right track. Basically take the skills of 2/3 year olds (painting and gluing) and transfer them onto real keepsake objects.

amother

Ghostwhite

Wed, Apr 27 2022, 11:47 am

Junk modelling? Giving them a range of different things and allowing them to create what they want. You could also suggest they try and build something specific.

Bubble painting-you put straws into paint and then blow the paint out onto paper. Or similar without worrying about the child drinking the paint is marble painting.

Making their own playdoh-you can do different scents and colors to make it more exciting.

Painting on tiles. Also painting on stones to make a 'paperweight'.

I've also made a lava lamp and windchimes/dream catchers.

And sensory bottles-where you put glitter or other things inside a bottle with water for a calming bottle. If you did it with glass bottles, it would look quite fancy (just remember to glue the lid down).

Stamping-I've seen wool tied around wooden blocks to make really nice patterns.

Stained glass pictures.

Rainstick.

dankbar ↓

Wed, Apr 27 2022, 1:34 pm

Painting or gluing any ready wooden or craft kit, like tzedaka boxes, picture frames, napkin holders.
Making collages with different items their own creation
Beading fancy crystal or pearl beads onto pipe cleaners to create napkin rings.
Using different stuff to paint with sponges, half a lemon, orange, apple, bottom of soda bottle, spool of thread etc.
Create different flowers with either painting with different stuff or gluing in different items.
Painting, bottom pieces of egg cartons to create flowers, qtips or cottonballs for cherry blossoms, pompoms, doilies etc.
Create butterflies with popcorn in bag with clothespins
Create puppets out of socks or dolls out of socks
Create saltholders out of wooden napkin rings
Clothespin dolls
Spoon/fork puppets
Fish tanks sand shells stones
Creating diff paint work with handprints like trees ducks
If you paint on ready fabric murals designs like challah covers, or ready signs like Asher yatzar, hadlakos ner. You can create frame with popsticks decorate with fancier stick on bead designs, then copy of tefillas
Fancier tissue boxes
Pillows
Potpourri
Layered sand/chalk in fancy jars
Fancier necklaces/bracelets
Wooden door name plaques
Decorate real stuff like headbands, tshirts, wallets, mezusah holders, benches holders, lamps
stuff a bear
Pic pins, pic mugs

Last edited by dankbar on Wed, Apr 27 2022, 1:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

↑ dankbar ↓

Wed, Apr 27 2022, 1:47 pm

Shrinkie dinks
Keychains
Vases from jars with square tissue paper
Decorate plates

Anything that you can get ready and then just decorate or paint will look better but be more expensive if it is not homemade.

Let's a decorating a wooden frame with jewel stick ons
Versus a popstick frame

A jar vase
Versus a ready stone vase

You can do some cool popstick creations

↑ dankbar ↓

Wed, Apr 27 2022, 1:54 pm

If you stick to a theme for your entire program or rotate every week can be pretty cool no matter what you do instead of just random crafts.

Let's say one week shabbos
Bake challah, create boards/covers. Wine necklaces, salt hders, napkin holders, napkin rings, make grape juice.
One week yom tov
Make donuts, hamanteshen
Make a fancy honey holder, shofar, megillah holder, mask, sukkah decoration, flower vase, seder pillow, afikomen bag etc.

Or a global theme, every week something else filling g that theme let's say Hashems gifts
Shabbos, five senses, 4 seasons, nature, family etc. Every week focus on one gift with different crafts for that gift, subcategorized.

↑ dankbar

Wed, Apr 27 2022, 6:22 pm

You can decorate cheap stuff like sunglasses, sun visors, water canteens with stickers or cutouts.

You can keep to a theme little kids can relate to like colors, shapes, numbers or characters they are familiar with like mitzvah mentchies. One day you dress them up as a fireman, one day as police officer, one day as a baker, a daddy, mommy etc.
You give them sheets to color & do crafts/activities matching to theme of day.

Food decorating is different. Creating different crafts from food, candy, or decorating cookies etc.

There are Jewish themed foam craft kids that are easy to put together