Silver Lining: my favorite easy art project for babies and toddlers

September 23, 2015

my favorite easy art project for babies and toddlers

Don't all parents want their children to grow up to be better than them? Smarter, kinder, more talented. And preferably richer, so they can pay for their parents' geriatric care. ;)

I try to throw my toddler's little green ball back and forth with her every so often. Hand-eye coordination! I've heard it's a really great thing to have! You can use it to, like, throw and catch stuff!

I also try and do art projects with her. Maybe you'll grow up to be artistic! You could actually draw stuff! Stuff besides a stick figure and a cartoon palm tree! But know you can always turn to your dear mother for guidance, should you ever need help with a stick figure or a cartoon palm tree. Just a regular stick figure, mind you. Not walking, not sitting, not swimming. Just a stick figure whose only job is to stand there with its arms awkwardly out to either side.

Today I wanted to share with you my toddler's favorite art project - one that we've been doing since she was seven months old. I like it because it's incredibly easy, and also mess-free. My toddler likes it because she gets to squish paint around in a bag, and it's fun to see the colors come together. (You can make this a little color mixing lesson for older kids too!)

Here's a quick tutorial:

BABY'S FIRST ART 
(PAINT IN A BAG)

MATERIALS:
white cardstock
acrylic paint, any type (I used leftovers from other art projects)
gallon-sized Ziploc bag
masking tape

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Squeeze paint randomly onto a piece of cardstock.
2. Carefully slide the cardstock into the Ziploc bag and seal at the top (no extra air). 
3. Tape the sides of the bag onto the table or highchair so it stays in place.
4. It's art-making time! Squish away!
5. Carefully unseal the ziploc bag and peel the top of the bag off the paint. Slide the painting out and dry for 8 hours.



^^The finished product
 ^^First stop for this art: in the mail to be displayed on grandma's desk. Second stop: The MoMA!

And there you have it: easy, fun sensory play - with no clean-up either!

What are your favorite art projects for young children?
I thought my daughter was old enough for markers, so we tried those last week.
Turns out she's only old enough to ingest markers. ;)

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