Arts and Crafts
Two-year-olds don't have solid fine-muscle control, so their art projects have to be large and must not require a lot of careful work. Drawing isn't really something they can do yet. Your best bets are gluing (glue sticks are not as messy as white glue) and painting. When gluing, give your children large objects, such as feathers, pieces of felt, or paper, to attach to their work. Two-year-olds can also paint. The paintbrushes should also be large, or children can use their fingers. Keep in mind that your child will make a mess, so you may want to take these activities outside.
Mix together:
1 cup flour
1 cup boiling water
2 tbsp. cream of tartar
½ cup salt
1 tbsp. oil
Divide the clay into balls and add a drop or two of food coloring to each ball to make different colors.
You'll need feathers (which you can buy in drugstores and craft stores), glue or glue sticks, and construction paper to make this craft. Draw a bird or duck on the construction paper. You can leave the drawing as is, or you can have your two-year-old paint or color in the animal. Next, have her drip glue onto the drawing. Then let her stick the feathers on the glue so that the finished product resembles a feathered animal.
You can make this type of picture project with two-year-olds as long as you do the actual drawing, since they cannot make any kind of representational art. They are really just playing with the materials.
Put up a laundry line outside, then drape a sheet over the line, and secure it with clothespins. The sheet should be low enough that your child can reach most of it himself. If you want, put a bathing suit on him and have a wading pool nearby. Fill cups with different colors of paints and include a large paintbrush for each. Let your child paint the sheet. She may want you to hang it up in the house once it's dry, but you might also use it as a tent. If you use fabric paint, then you'll be able to wash the sheet and use it as a tablecloth for future craft projects or a birthday party.
