Tag: art

Tuesday Tots ~ Homemade Finger Paints

fingerrpaint

What You’ll Need

• ½ cup cornstarch

• 2¾ cup cold water

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

• ¼ cup cold water

• Small jars with lids for storing your paint (we find it easier to dip the paint out of teacups)

• Food coloring

How To Make

• Mix cornstarch with 2¾ cups cold water to make a smooth paste in a saucepan until no lumps remain

• Meanwhile soak the gelatin in ¼ cup water to soften until it’s needed

• Cook cornstarch mixture over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture boils and turns clear(ish)

• Remove from heat and stir in gelatin mixture

• Cool and divide into several different jars for various colors. Stir in food coloring until you have a pleasing color that is well blended.

This recipe makes about 3 cups of paint.

Thursday Arts & Crafts ~ Cling Wrap Creative Painting For Toddlers

clingwrappaint

– White paper

– Paint

– Spoons

– Plastic cling wrap

Using a spoon, allow your child to dribble paint onto the paper. Have them use several different colors.

Place a sheet of plastic cling wrap over the paint (make sure the cling wrap covers the entire surface).

Allow them to use their hands to smooth the cling wrap over the paper. After they have done so, carefully peel it off starting from one corner.

Allow the painting to dry.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Paper Sand Dollars

papersanddollar

White or cream-colored card stock

Round cotton pad or circle of packing foam

Glue

Clothespins

Dry barley

How to make it

To make your own paper sand dollars, first cut a pair of circles, about 3 inches in diameter, from white or cream-colored card stock.

Sandwich the 2 circles together with a round cotton pad or circle of packing foam between them.

Glue the circles together, using clothespins to hold them in place until the glue has dried.

Finally, glue on a star-shaped design of dry barley, white beans, or uncooked pasta shells.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Vibrant Color In A Bag For Toddlers

colorinabagforplay

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups cold water

Food coloring

2 gallon-size ziplock bags

Duct tape

How to make

Over medium heat, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and water in a saucepan, stirring continuously.

Once the mixture begins to thicken, remove the pan from the heat and stir for another minute or so until it thickens to a pudding like consistency. Let it cool for 30 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into two bowls, stir a few drops of food coloring into each , then divide the colors between the ziplock bags. Seal the bags with duct tape and let your child mix and mash the colors (they’ll keep for up to a week). Always supervise your child during play.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Tissue Paper Bowl

tissuepaper

2 small bowls

Cooking spray or vegetable oil

Plastic wrap

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup water

Paintbrush

2 sheets of tissue paper cut or torn into roughly 2- by 2-inch pieces

Bowl of white vinegar (optional)

How to make

Coat the outside of one small bowl with cooking spray or vegetable oil, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap.

In the other bowl, whisk the flour and water together until smooth.

Have your child brush the paste onto the plastic wrap, then cover it with pieces of tissue paper as shown. She may need your help pressing down the pieces so that they stick to the paste. When the bowl is covered with one layer, have her brush on more paste and add another layer. Continue until you have a thick, defined bowl shape; you’ll need at least five layers. If the brush gets too goopy, dip it in white vinegar, then rinse it with water. Let the papier-mâché dry (at least 12 hours).

Gently remove the papier-mâché bowl from the bowl mold and peel the plastic wrap away. For a smooth edge, trim the bowl’s rim with scissors.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ No More Monsters Spray!

monsterspray

Squirt Bottle (no paint needed if you find one solid in color)

Buttons, plastic beads, pebbles etc..

Craft Paint – Only if your squirt bottle is clear

Foam paint brush

Stickers, wiggly eyes, sparkly gems, etc

glue dots for items without adhesive

scented oil- non toxic

Water

Helpful Tip:

Be careful of any choking hazards. The small beads or buttons may cause a risk if your child places them in their mouth.

Variations:

You can decorate your bottle any way you want. Maybe you want to add shiny streamers, stickers or gems.

How to Make Monster Spray

Gather your materials. You could even have your child help you if you think it would help.

If your squirt bottle isn’t a solid color, paint the outside of your bottle with a darker craft paint. Let it dry completely.

Now that your bottle is dry. Time to fill it with the magic! Fill with water, scented oil (not too much, just enough to give it a light scent) and your plastic beads or buttons. The beads give it sound which makes it more magical!

Spray areas you think Monsters like to hide.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Cotton Ball Counting Sheep

sheepcottonball

White construction paper

Cotton balls

Scissors

Transparent adhesive tape

Glue stick

Pencil and eraser

Black crayon

Black marker

Cotton swabs

How to make it:

Draw the sheep by hand very softly with a pencil. They do not have to be all the same or perfectly drawn.

Trace the pencil drawings with a black marker. Draw numbers in the center of each animal.

Have your toddler color the face and ears of the sheep with a black crayon (or any other color you choose) and then proceed to cut out each drawing.

Cover the sheep’s body and hair with glue avoiding the middle area, where the number is.

Use cotton balls to cover the parts that have glue.

Cut the cotton swabs in half with a pair of scissors.

Turn the sheep and use transparent adhesive tape to attach the feet of the sheep to the back.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Pasta Pictures For Toddlers

PastaPic

What You’ll Need:

pasta

strong wood glue

cardboard or gift box

Activity:

There are so many great ways to get your pasta working for you!

Animal cut out – let your child draw a large animal or similar on the cardboard.

Help them to cut it out and then squirt or paint glue all over the cut out.

Position the pasta on the glue before it dries.

Name plate – write your child’s name in large block letters on the cardboard, help your child to cut this out and then cover with glue.

Position the pasta to cover it completely before it dries.

Draw and fill in – encourage your child to draw something that will be fun to fill in with pasta shapes.

For example – a huge race track or a big pond with surrounding plants and flowers.

Next position the pasta to cover it completely before it dries.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Blow Painting

blowpainting

What You’ll Need:

Paper

Non-breakable container with sides (dishpan, cake pan, disposable casserole dish, etc.)

Thin paint

Spoon

Straws (bendable straws work best)

What You Do:

Trim paper as needed to cover the bottom of the container. Place the paper into the container with sides. This helps control the extra paint that blows around.

If using store-bought paint, you may wish to water it down a bit for easier mobility across the paper.

Have your child choose a color and dribble a bit onto her paper.

Give her a straw and let her experiment with blowing the paint around on the paper. Caution her against sucking in through the straw.

Continue adding colors until your child completes her masterpiece. Talk about what you see in the abstract design. What does the painting make her think of?

Allow the painting to dry and then encourage your preschooler to sign her name in the bottom corner.

Thursday Crafts For Kids ~ Make Your Own Rainstick

Rainstick

What you’ll need:

A long cardboard tube from a roll of gift wrap, or a poster shipping tube

Dried beans

Tan packing tape

Brown magic marker

Optional: aluminum foil

What You Do:

Make a pad of tape by taping a few pieces together, sticky side in. Tape over one end of the tube so it is completely covered, but won’t cause the contents of the tube to stick once your child starts using it.

Have your child add a few handfuls of beans to the tube.

Want to change the sound? Kids can crumple a long “rope” of aluminum foil and insert it into the tube to slow the beans down.

Tape over the other end as in Step 1.

Help your child to draw patterns over the tube to make it look like wood, or just let her use her imagination to make colorful designs.