what crafty things can I do with an 18mo?

[CarolinaMooncup]

I have to admit I'm hoping the answer will be nothing yet, wait till he's 2...

LOL - well it's up to you. DD is 23 months and loves crafts. Gets really enthusiastic and vies with 5 yo DS for the glue etc - see if she can stick more felt stars on her card quicker than him etc.

I tend to do things for an occasion. So we made Easter goodies for the immediate family. Cos I am lazy I bought little jelly pots from Woollies and Easter stickers for them to decorate. Then made choc crunchies with DD and fudge with DS to fill them. For Mother's Day, we painted terracotta plant pots, then I varnished them and we planted them up with primulas. Also recently did general sticking on birth cards for friend who had just had a baby.

we have been finger painting from about 12 months. Gluing and sticking (and ungluing repositioning and repositioning ad infinitum till all glue gone) with things like pasta pieces, coloured bits of paper etc.
We made Mothers day cards/Easter cards with egg boxes for daffodil centres and coloured card for hte petals and leaves. I give the 12-18 mth olds washable crayons on huge pieces of paper cut from a roll of lining paper.
We painted pine cones at X-mas and glittered them as tree decorations.
If you want to do it you can if you don't then leave it.
They do say that drawing and painting - the act of scribbling is teaching them fine hand/finger control and is a precursor to writing so its up to you when you feel up to starting it

now the better weather is coming round, its easy to let them paint in the garden, big brushes, even bare feet, lots of paint and walk over the paper

They're not that cheap but I find our Aquadraw a Godsend - ds (now 22 months) can't really cope that well with crayons and pens unless he draws on the floor and sofa (grrr) but I can cope with a bit of water and he 'draws' far more easily with it! Dd (nearly 5) still plays with it as well occasionally so it has been a good investment.

or paintbrushes and water on the fence walls or patio as it soon dires and NO mess.
Oh I forgot aquadraw they're great
Also playdough.

I can't remember what they are called (why do I suspect that this will be a pointless post?!) but the bits of puffed maize, or whatever they are - they look like less garish cheesy wotsits. The point is, they stick onto paper using only water, thus reducing the chances of a toddler/craft disaster!
(someone help me out, here...)

i don't know either but they sell them in Early Learning centre

It's magic maize from ELC. Didn't think of letting DD loose with it. Have always kept it for DS for when she is asleep. Hmmm....

Quite often just give DD a piece of paper and some crayons and sit her in her booster chair at the table while I am tidying up or whatever. Dead simple.

sounds scary as ive got an 18 mths old too and im planning to buy some tissue paper and glitter plus glue (and paper)

is that scary or wha?

Thanks for all the ideas

Alison, that sounds really adventurous!

atm ds does have some crayons for scribbling on scrap paper with, which he enjoys although he mostly demands that we draw things for him instead of doing it himself. No way am I letting him loose with glitter!

will prob try and get some playdough. A granny was telling me the other day about how she used to fashion her own playdough from flour and olive oil, so I might try that .

what is aquadraw?

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mine always loved just sticking pictures out of magazines (catalogues are good) onto a big piece of coloured paper. The maize things are ok - but if they get too wet they disintegrate to nothing

I keep a container of 'bits to stick' - cut up brightly coloured envelopes, scraps of paper, bits left over when older ones or I have been making, then, if one of my young charges wants to stick (Iam a childminder) I have instant stuff for them to stick - just need a bottom piece to stick everything to - paper, card, box etc., and a stick of glue. Quick and easy, and when they get bored aftyer 5 minutes it hasn't been a hassle. Playdough is good as mentioned above, also fingerpainting or handprints/potato prints if you can stand the mess - can make lovely wrapping paper or pictures to give to rellies with hand prints.

anything - craft with 18month olds is fab.
all the things on here so far are great what about large bits of paper, strip them to their nappy or whatever they use done there,giving them paint and letting them get on with it - prob better for doing in the garden. playing with flour and water together? stickng with just about anything you can find? junk modeling, big things being easier to manipulate?? whatever you do will be great fun!