I'm not the most crafty mom or the most creative. I like to look at Pinterest for ideas I can "borrow" but sometimes they can be complicated. Lots of creativity, lots of different steps, lots of different supplies, and lots of prep.
If you're a not-so-crafty-keep-it-simple kinda Mom like me, then maybe this post is for you.
I wanted a simple sensory craft for little miss that I could prepare in a snap. Now that she's a little older, I was hoping that she'd go for something a bit messy but lots of fun:
DIY Finger Paint
I had some chocolate pudding in the cupboard, milk in the fridge, and new finger paint paper thanks to Grandma's Christmas gift.
Simply follow directions on the box; add your ingredients and mix. Easy peasy.
Just a head's up: you may have to chase your toddler after you hand them the whisk. Little miss had too much fun with it and it took a few minutes to wrangle her so she'd sit and actually use it to mix the pudding.
(I had to get out my hand mixer afterwards to get the pudding to the consistency I wanted; whisking took quite a while and it was still too liquidy. The mixer helped thicken a little.)
We don't have an art smock yet, so I used a hand towel that I clipped in the back. I also had her wear a black shirt that I didn't mind getting dirty. The Attic baby doesn't like her sleeves pushed up so I anticipated doing some laundry.
At first, she used only one hand and carefully dipped her fingers into the bowl to paint. But once I showed her she could use both hands, she really got into it. I was surprised that she didn't mind getting messy, since in the past when trying activities like this sensory activity with whipped cream, she was not happy and didn't like the feel of it.
I was also surprised that she didn't try to put her hands in her mouth. I don't want to teach her to eat paint anyway, but I would rather her lick a little pudding than actual paint until she understands.
Her big brother announced that the finished product looked like Poo Art. Gotta love it!
You can even make clean-up time fun with your toddler by giving them a wet paper towel and letting them help clean the table and the spots on the floor. My toddler loves cleaning up and I'm milking that while I can!
Do you have a simple sensory activity that you do with your toddler? I'd love some more ideas!
If you're a not-so-crafty-keep-it-simple kinda Mom like me, then maybe this post is for you.
I wanted a simple sensory craft for little miss that I could prepare in a snap. Now that she's a little older, I was hoping that she'd go for something a bit messy but lots of fun:
DIY Finger Paint

I had some chocolate pudding in the cupboard, milk in the fridge, and new finger paint paper thanks to Grandma's Christmas gift.
Simply follow directions on the box; add your ingredients and mix. Easy peasy.

Just a head's up: you may have to chase your toddler after you hand them the whisk. Little miss had too much fun with it and it took a few minutes to wrangle her so she'd sit and actually use it to mix the pudding.

(I had to get out my hand mixer afterwards to get the pudding to the consistency I wanted; whisking took quite a while and it was still too liquidy. The mixer helped thicken a little.)
We don't have an art smock yet, so I used a hand towel that I clipped in the back. I also had her wear a black shirt that I didn't mind getting dirty. The Attic baby doesn't like her sleeves pushed up so I anticipated doing some laundry.

At first, she used only one hand and carefully dipped her fingers into the bowl to paint. But once I showed her she could use both hands, she really got into it. I was surprised that she didn't mind getting messy, since in the past when trying activities like this sensory activity with whipped cream, she was not happy and didn't like the feel of it.
I was also surprised that she didn't try to put her hands in her mouth. I don't want to teach her to eat paint anyway, but I would rather her lick a little pudding than actual paint until she understands.
Her big brother announced that the finished product looked like Poo Art. Gotta love it!

You can even make clean-up time fun with your toddler by giving them a wet paper towel and letting them help clean the table and the spots on the floor. My toddler loves cleaning up and I'm milking that while I can!
Do you have a simple sensory activity that you do with your toddler? I'd love some more ideas!
My kids did that too. It's so fun!!!! They also enjoyed playing with rice!
ReplyDeleteI remember doing this with the kids when I worked in daycare, it was so fun and tasty!
ReplyDeleteI saw someone do this on TV a couple of years ago and thought it was such a cool idea. Never tried that with my kids but will keep it in mind for my grandkids. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI never thought to use pudding - we always use washable paint!! What a tastier idea! :)
ReplyDeleteI think pudding painting is a right of passage for all kids! Great post!
ReplyDeleteThat looks both messy and fun at the same time. Thanks for sharing the post.
ReplyDeleteFun and Yummy, total bonus!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. How old is your little one? Mine is 14 mths. Think he is ready?
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute and fun idea!
ReplyDeleteI never tried it myself, but I think they did in preschool. That and shaving cream.
ReplyDeleteMy son loved painting with pudding. I loved that I didn't have to tell him to not eat the paint.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like one yummy mess!
ReplyDelete