How can you make doing arts and crafts with your toddler easier?

Oh, the expectations we set for ourselves this time of year. You’ve probably been scrolling through Pinterest and searching online for art, craft, easy baking, and other ideas to make sure you make the most of this time of year.

As moms, we don’t want our kids to miss out on anything, so we drive ourselves crazy trying to do it all, and try new activities that we haven’t done before. All while we’re stressed about the holidays and squeezing more into the same amount of time. So, save yourself some of the headache with my tried and true mom hacks.

1. Break larger projects into smaller parts.
   1. Don’t try to do it all in one sitting, or even one day. For example, you might paint one day, let it dry overnight, and do the rest of the project the next day.
2. Don’t expect perfection.
   1. Let your little one put his or her own flair to it. I know, I know. We see all these super cute crafts that kids supposedly did. Newsflash: it was done by the adult, or by “kid,” they mean a 12 or 13 year old, not a 2 or 3 year old. Embrace the age your child is this year. This season. Let that be their level for your projects. You can always do the same craft project next year and see how much they’ve grown by how they do the project. The beauty is in the here and now. Embrace it and try to enjoy it. 🙂
3. Keep it as simple as possible.
   1. Even “easy” projects can be a lot of effort with little ones. Fun? Yes. Cute when it’s done? Yes. But, they can still be a lot of work.
   2. Less is more, and the simpler, the better.
4. Do activities and projects during your child’s best time of day, when your little one isn’t tired or hungry.
   1. This is typically the morning, but doing art activities and craft projects around your child’s best time of day will save you a lot of frustration and lost time.
5. Have the activity all set up before you tell your child about it.
   1. The longer your child waits to start an activity, the more antsy he/she becomes, which is not a good way to start.
6. If something needs to be painted and cut out, trace it on the back so that you can see your lines to cut on easier, and so that you’re not trying to trace over dried paint. Get more painting tips here. 
7. Keep the directions as simple as possible.
   1. Tell your child what you’re going to do and how before starting the activity.
   2. Then, repeat as needed during the activity (there will be lots of repeating! Remember, this is all new to your child, so it’s a lot to remember and take in.).
8. Let your child choose the activity.  Provide 2 choices and let your child choose which one to do, or which one to start with.
9. Allow time for “free creativity” time afterward, when your child can create whatever he/she wants to once the project is done.

Enjoy the process and embrace the time you have with your little ones this holiday season.

They’re only this young once. What they create is beautiful. It captures a moment in time- what their abilities are at this age, this month, what their interests are, and it took their precious time. Time they could have spent playing instead of creating. It gives them something to be proud of and show others. How awesome is that?

If you’d like it even easier to do activities with your little one, regardless of the season, grab your copy of my FREE Toddler Activity Guide here.

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