Craft ideas for 2 and 3 year olds - I end up in chaos.

[IloveBFG]

I think I am being too ambitious. I have two 2 year olds and a 3 year old and would love to do some lovely craft with them, but it seems to turn into chaos! I would really like some ideas of things that have worked well for you.

I like to do simple collage pictures with little ones. I make a cardbord frame the put sticky back plastic sticky side up on the back iyswim - so they can arrange bits of cellophane, tissue, sequins, buttons etc however they like within the frame straight onto the sticky with no messy glue. If you use translucent materials the resulting artwork can look nice hung on a window but ordinary coloured paper, leaves, pictures torn out of magazines etc etc work as well, Mind you we also have some very messy craft days too! Anyone else have ankle-deep glitter?

My DS made a milk bottle elephant as a 2 year old. We didn't paint it, and I just cut post it notes as ears, but he loved sticking shapes on.

We decorated shortbread stars this week.Very messy. December is officially glitter month.

After having a houseful of capable 3/4 year olds, I now have 2 just turned 2 yo, 1 1yo and 1 8m.

I have had to change the dynamics a lot, instead of trying to get them to do specific "crafts" we just have lots of paint, pens, crayons, glue and glitter and just let them explore. I will then sometimes cut shapes out of their creations and stick them onto card. I also do more playdough, play rice and tray activities which are more open ended for them to explore.

I do provide glitter and glue but the little ones rarely understand that they need to put the glue on first then look disappointed when it falls off, onto my floor, dog, chair, toys..........

Christmas tree magnets are quite straightforward, just out christmas trees from green foam (or card), and let them decorate with stickers/glitter/tissue paper, you could put the glue on first if they can't manage it and then pop a bit of that sticky magnet strip stuff on the back and ta-da a lovely christmas magnet to take home for mum and dad

We have a big craft box which DS gets very excited about. When it comes out he can choose: sticking, glitter, colouring, painting or whatever, but then only those things come out so it limits the mess. He loves just getting stuck I. To whatever he has chosen and because there are a limited number of things out it doesn't matter what he does with it, the area around him is going to get messy, but that's ok!

I have 2x 3yr (DS & mindee) & both love stickers which I'm a huge fan of because the mess is minimal otherwise I find the more organised I am the better:eg if it's card making then have the glue ready in pots, cards cut & folded, pen in pots, stuff for gluing in an ice cream tub etc otherwise I find that bringing out my vast craft box at once they play for short spells with everything ie make a huge mess but rarely stay with anything for long.

I also keep a store of pre-made fairy cakes in the freezer for decorating - both the younger & older kids seem to love mixing up vile coloured icing to decorate cakes losing interest waiting for the cakes to cook & cool and they can eat them straightaway.

mine like cutting, glueing and colouring.
I do a lot of hand print crafts - they do the handprints and I turn them into weird and wonderful things.
Bingo dabbers are great for little uns
decorating cakes/biscuits is great fun
One of my favourite is just putting a load of flour on the table and a few toys

This time of year is great for crafts.

Draw a Christmas tree and let the children decorate with glitter or glitter pens and little Pom poms

Let them stick cloves into an orange

Salt dough creations (we did angels and Christmas trees)

Paper chains

Christmas scampers

Sparkly stickers onto a card with their handprints inside

Angels from paper doilies and cheap wooden spoons

Older oned will enjoy it too!

Can you elaborate more by what you mean when you say 'it ends in chaos'?

Craft & creative activities should be more about process than a focus on an end product. Creativity is about creating from your own ideas. Especially at such a young age it should be more about exploring the resources, experimenting with techniques, getting messy & having fun. Considering that chaos goes with the territory. Try and set it up for success by setting up the environment so that spills, mess & getting your hands covered don't matter. Do it outside, put down a drop sheet, put on old clothes.

Try and let go of what you think the product should end up like. Try not to influence what they make. Say less & listen more. Respond to what the child shows you, provide interesting and safe materials. Use open ended questions. Try not to worry about the end product. Creativity is a process. Each time the child revisits & gains skill, they will eventually become more confident & independent.

Activities that work well with this age:

• fingerpaint on large surfaces.
• collage- assorted materials like feathers, shaped paper, glitter, coloured sand. Different colours, shapes, textures.
• playdough (Try not to make demonstations of items- just role model technique- how to roll a ball or long roll instead of "this is how you make a cat".

-plastercine -cornflour gloop