Arts and Crafts
Two-year-olds are in the process of developing their fine-motor skills, which means they are learning to use their fingers in a much more exact way than previously. Handing them toddler scissors and other art supplies gives them opportunities to practice these skills. Understand that at this age, they can only hold large paint brushes, large crayons, and other big art tools.
One handy art tool for a two-year-old is glue or paste since this allows them to use their fingers to make something. You can put glue and paste on an amazing number of materials, including wood, cotton balls, feathers, string, blocks, glitter, and, of course, paper. You should also keep toilet paper and paper towel rolls (which can become horns, telescopes, and binoculars), as well as fabric scraps and old clothes (they can be doll clothes and stuffed animal outfits).
Activities that allow easy cleanup are imperative when you're the parent of a two-year-old, enabling your child to help you get the job done as well as make sure you don't get aggravated after you've been playing. Two useful things to have on hand: plastic-coated tablecloths, which you can put on the floor or over a table to catch spills, and hand-me-downs from older children or just old clothes that your child can ruin.
Your two-year-old's art will not be representational (that is, pictures of things and people) but will consist mostly of scribbles, the result of simply playing with crayons, pencils, and markers to see what they can do. Although your child's drawing skills are still rudimentary, she will this year become able to draw a circle. It won't be perfect, but it will be round! Although you may not be able to recognize what your child draws, keep in mind that you do not need to communicate that to her. Simply say, “Can you tell me about this?” rather than asking, “What is this?” That way she won't know you can't tell what she has drawn.
If your child is going to paint at home, you might try doing this activity outside so that spills and drips will just fall on the ground. Or you can work in the basement or garage.
Here are two great painting projects for children.
Drape a nonfitted bedsheet over a clothesline and let children paint the fabric with permanent paint. You now have a new tablecloth!
Have your two-year-old dip sponges and cookie cutters into paint, then press them onto paper or fabric.
Painting is good for two-year-olds because even though it requires fine motor skills, they can use very large brushes. Keep in mind that a painting work surface should be bigger than one used just for work with pencils and markers. You can use large sheets of butcher-block paper or newsprint as a canvas for large projects.
