Does your toddler like art?

[Cbell]

I have a DD two years old and have always imagined sharing my love of art with her.

However, she doesn't seem interested. I'm very creative and we have lots of art materials. She doesn't have free access to anything (I fear the mess) but I plan at least one activity and week.

But she just doesn't seem bothered. Normal? How can I encourage her?

My DS is nearly 2 and loves colouring although crayons aren't satisfying him now, he wants felt tips :) he also likes a pritt stick and glitter, although most of that ends up on the floor!!

When you say you plan activities, are you aiming for things which are too advanced for her? I don't allow DS to have any art and craft materials unsupervised, but once I'm with him and have got them out he's free to do what he likes with them, I wouldn't (for example) try to make a particular item yet with him!

Could be too young still, or might hate getting her hands dirty. My DS hated arty crafty things at that age, as he has very sensitive skin and he couldn't stand the feeling of paint or clay on it. Now he's applying for art scholarships.

I'd encourage messy play to start with. We used to spend hours every day (no exaggeration) at that age, with DC just outside the kitchen door in wellies and a nappy, playing with lukewarm bath water in an old baby bath, with funnels, sieves, cups and boats. I kept the water very warm so even on cold days, they loved it.

Then DC moved onto aquadraw, where they paint with water onto a cloth which turns blue where the water touches it.

You could also make some very simple things for her - like finger puppets or paper cut out dolls so she gets the association between craft and play afterwards. or make pizzas/cookies with faces, so she can eat them.

Give her time. If she grows up in an artistic family, it'll rub off. My mum is an artist and I almost never pick up a pencil or brush - that's her thing, not mine - but when I do, it is so soothing. I could get lost in it for hours.

Some of them just don't like crafts.

We were doing some stuff the other day and I didn't have time to clear up. Later was making dinner (same room) and he went over and started just pilling crepe, pipe cleaners, little bits to stick etc on paper. Seriously he made a mountain and was chatting away to himself. Of course there was nothing to show for it at the end as nothing was glued down but he enjoyed it.

I have a plastic disposable tablecloth left over from his birthday that I put down plus old clothes and let him chuck paint and glitter about. Yes it's messy and takes longer to set up / clear up than he's interested sometimes but I think you do have to give a bit of free rein to get them interested.

Sometimes we look at art catalogues or go to galleries too. I keep it very short! But I like introducing him to the idea that this is an activity mummy likes to do. I hope he'll enjoy art when he's older but equally it might not catch on with him and it'll just be that boring thing I like.

At this age being creative means having being free to explore materials to create their own thing and it is entirely about the process and not about the end product at all.
You can model, you can demonstrate but they need to be able to express themselves, not recreate what the adult has done.

My 20mo DD loves Playdoh with a selection of cookie cutters. She's learned a few shapes entirely because of this - star, flower, heart. She also loves painting with her fingers and crayoning everything that stays still long enough. She's 'decorated' her teaset, the bath, every scrap of paper left out accidentally... she did the wall yesterday and being in a rented flat I'm trying really hard to direct her towards other surfaces!

DD likes it when I make or draw animals for her...

I certainly think that I have been too wrapped up in the product than the process at time. I worry that by being over controlling in our early ventured I have put her off.

We do engage in messy play and I am trying to accept that this is what she is ready for.

What kind of messy play does your toddler most enjoy?

i work with toddlers and pre-schoolers and they love shaving foam, gloop, cold spaghetti, playdough, and spreading glue. I put glitter and food colouring in the glue because they just enjoy spreading it on paper.
They also love junk modelling with cardboard and playing with shredded paper
They also love painting their hands (and arms) and generally just making a mess
another favourite is painting the fences outside with big brushes and little pots of water
My DD is artistic and as a toddler she used to draw round her feet every day, cut them out and take them in to nursery for the staff

Yes, I agree you have to ignore the 'product' for now. The toilet roll tube rockets are for the future! A good craft session for a toddler involves smearing, rolling, prodding, stretching and mixing stuff. You can gauge the success by how much is stuck in their hair afterwards.

I live in a flat with no outdoor space so my suggestions are for indoorsy things. DD (20mo) loves playdoh - mashing it, pushing it through a sieve, cutting shapes out of it etc. She can cut out flowers and then stick different coloured middles in but frankly that's the only proper 'product' she can do at the moment.

Other big things are painting (brushes, fingers, bit of old bath sponge), crayoning (everywhere), sticking (fuzzy felt type things)... I tend to let her do her own thing and instead model the idea of creativity and art by making things in front of her. I built her a big cardboard house recently, sewed her a wonky teddy, made a few clay animals... all very bodgy but I like to think it's encouraging DD to make her own things too one day. In a while I think I'll try baking with her (cookies where she can stick the Smarties on, that sort of thing) but I know she's not really communicating well enough yet to enjoy it. DD has significant hearing loss in both ears so she's a little behind on following instructions etc.

I sculpt for a living but I remember a childhood of being compared unfavourably to my twin sister when it came to drawing and 'proper art'. This still gives me a fear 30-odd years later. A sheet of white paper terrifies me. I see the aim of kiddy craft is not for them to produce masterpieces but to become comfortable and experiment with all sorts of different materials, textures and methods regardless of the result.

If you have outside space, how about mud-pies, food colouring in puddles, bubbles... DD likes decorating things so maybe a bucket full of soil or a bit of empty garden which can be studded with beads, shells, stones, leaves etc...?

I am surprised at how difficult that I find this whole experience! I certainly thought this was at least one area I had covered (in paint and glitter).

I do think my main problem has been to overly focus on producing a particular item in our art sessions. Also while I am fighting my inner neat-freak I do find the thought of the mess that will be created...well just annoying. With all the other jobs to do cleaning up goo, paint, toddler and house often just seems unappealing.

On reflection my daughter has been sending me some clear messages about what she likes to do and I will endeavour to listen to these and as you say Moel just model the rest.

Right off to make some goo...

You can buy cheapo waterproof sheets for decorating from DIY stores. Masking tape one to the floor and either strip your DD off, put her in old gear or put her in a puddle suit. Depends on warmth of house! DD wears an old t-shirt of mine like a big smock.

Know what you mean about the mess though. Really gunky stuff, do it in the bath. I don't do the big messy stuff like baked beans (rented flat with beige carpet), but I put her in her high chair at the table, tape down a big sheet of newspaper and let her get on with painting. I spread a waterproof sheet underneath her too, though actually she's not THAT messy. And maybe time it so it's bath time after, so you can hose her down?