craft table at playgroup

[LG]

Help! Its my turn to sort out the art/craft table at our local mums and toddler playgroup. Has anyone got any ideas or good websites. The age range is about 11/2 - 3 years old. I was thinking of doing some glueing and sticking stuff.

leaf painting?

Play doh, threading. How about an easter theme or that too early?

Fruit/vegetable printing - potatoes, carrors, orangles, lemons....DD does a lot of this at nursery.

DD loves sticking and gluing. Just have PVA glue and some spreaders, and then bits of things to cut (child safety scissors) out such as tissue paper and coloured paper, bits of wool and fabric, sequins, stick on stars and shaped, etc.

ELC has 20% off their craft stuff at the moment.

Baker Ross has some cheap craft stuff too.

Mother's Day is end of March too - make tissue paper bunches of flowers.

Clocks on paper plates? With the numbers already printed on them. The kids could glue on sequins, tissue paper etc then you could either add the hands or get someone to draw them on?

Hand & feet painting....

I had to do this once. I made "Hickory Dickory Dock clocks". Does need a bit of preparation if you have time.

You need:
Paper Plates
Coloured paper
Black Cotton
Wool
Hole Punch
Marker Pen
Wobbly eyes (optional)

Draw clock face on the paper plate (if you like you can make 'hands' cut out of paper and fasten with paper fastner) or just draw them on with marker pen.
Cut out long heart shapes from coloured paper. Fold around finger to make mouse and stick with sellotape. Make ears with smaller heart shapes.
Draw on eyes (or use stick on wobbly eyes). Use small pieces of black cotton for whiskers. Cut a long piece of wool and stick on for tail. Hole punch one hole in the side of the clock and attach other end of wool so mouse is attached to clock and doesn't get lost.
Print out on very small pieces of paper the Hickory Dickory Dock song and stick onto clock.
There you have it.
Sounds a lot but very easy.

Last time I did this I made masks, we had a carnival theme (it was carnival day you see back home). But masks work any time don't they? I cut templates from funky foam but you can buy them from Baker Ross, i got them from there for the ds's birthday party. Then we just covered in sequins and feathers- worked a treat and they all loved it.

You could theme it to spring animals at this time of year (eg yellow feathers for ducklings, white cotton wool for lambs).

a lot of children this age have a very short concentration span...
how about
gluing and sticking (have lots of pre-cut stuff for them to stick... sequins... glitter

playdough (make your own... add smelly flavoured essence like mint and food colouring and glitter) they will love it

Good luck..

thanks for your suggestions. I feel more confident now!