Present making with 20 month old? Is this foolishness?

[merglemergle]

I want my son, aged 20 months now, to make a present for his new sister, due in 6 weeks.

I was thinking something like a mobile. I want him to do more than just colour in something though.

I just wondered if anyone had done anything similar, had any ideas, etc.

He loves drawing but can't hold scissors or anything.

Make a mobile out of his handprints?

Are you brave enough to get out a tea-tray, some goo and some sparkles? Dd, 22 months, is passionate about sticking things on to things...

You could also get him to paint some paper and then cut out shapes once the paper has dried. You could then stick stuff on to this before turning it into a mobile.

A handprint mobile sounds great. You could use different coloured paints, glittlers..etc...when they are dry you could cut them out and laminate them.

in answer to the thread title, rather than your real question: it depends how many children the people answering have got.

ooo congrats merglemergle!! ds2 will be 2 when baba is born so I am thinking along these lines. May do a scrap page or something.
The handprint mobile sounds good. You could do it on acetate with glass paints to really catch the sun/light

oh yeah, dont think it's follishness at all!

Even if you can't get him to help with present, he can make the wrapping paper!
I keep all paintings / pics to use as wrapping paper. You can buy a roll of plain paper (Ikea) and let them paint that....always original and saves you having to keep every single picture!

Thanks for all the suggestions. We've been doing hand-mobiles, and all 3 of us (me, dh, ds) have put our prints on. As there are quite a few prints, I think I'll do a spiral with a cascade type effect.

I LOVE the idea of the glass paints but ds is allergic to anything on his hands, so probably out. I'm going to have a think about that though.

Re laminating them-how would I go about that? Would I have to buy a machine or something?

We did have a laminating machine at work (and I had a key ) but I'm on ML.

aww sounds lovely!!

re: glass painting, was thinking you could just draw round his hand with a pen/pencil and then colour it in with the glass paints, overhead projector pens would work too!

have you got any friends at work who could laminate for you?
If not a little trick is to mix pva glue with a little water and pait over the work, when it dries it will be clear and shinny.
or if you didn't want to be messy, you could use that film stuff.

Laminators......did you mention laminators???? OMG its a wonder Mrs F hasnt been here to post!!!

Laminators are soooooo cheap now....you can get one for less than £20 in most stationary stores...once you get one though you will become addicted to laminating everything!!!!!!

That is such a fabulous idea, champs...I didn't think of just drawing round his hand, duh!

Yes, I think maybe I'd better go visit work to show off ds and bump...Although 20 quid is cheap. Would a laminator have other uses, do you thin?

You could use the laminator to make
Plate mats at christmas. Name mats for Birthdays

lol!! no worries

a laminator will come in handy for many things, you can laminate all those certificates we get, artwork you want to preserve, special projects, loads of things. but while you decide if you will get enough use out of it use works.