Arts and Crafts
02.25.2010
There are some things I am very good at as a stay-at-home mom. For example, I can lead and sustain amazing dance parties to just about any tune. I’m great at singing songs during our seemingly endless times together at the dinner table. I make a top-notch tickle monster. A glaring weakness of mine, however, is in the arts-and-crafts department. My creative genes are somewhat truncated. Actually, I’m not even sure they are there. Regardless, yesterday, I vowed to “do a project” with Jaden. Here are the results:
And the artist when I told him to smile:
For the record, Jaden left the table on 3 occasions in the 6 minutes it took to make this masterpiece. Once to get a tractor, once to get a car, and once to do a lap around the kitchen. Also for the record, I wrote his name. He can’t write just yet. Truly I simply wanted to see how this product worked as the “paint” is clear until it hits the “magic paper.” Everything else is his authentic work. So, in the end, we had a completed project that is now on our refrigerator.
I doubt that one art-ish project fulfills the quota needed by Jaden’s brain at this point to get down and dirty with his creative side. So I am here to ask anyone for ideas: aside from crayons and fingerpaints how does one get arty with a toddler?
Jaden thanks you in advance.
02/25/2010 at 6:21 pm
Oh lord. I have so many books on this from when I managed the daycare. Can we just mention pudding finger painting? (Did you just freak out?)
How about marshmallow sculpture? Or anything with glitter? (He might be tooyoungforthat just yet???)
02/25/2010 at 7:58 pm
I rule nothing out, although I may need a guest lecturer for the glitter part. I take this comment as you volunteering?
02/25/2010 at 7:01 pm
I love his smile face! Funny Boy! I am sure that he was just taking breaks so he could be inspired to paint his surroundings.
You could try finger painting with pudding. It could be a yummy mess, I would go the shirtless route for that one.
02/25/2010 at 7:59 pm
Two comments and two votes for fingerpainting with pudding — sounds like a winner. I guess the only route to go is chocolate, right?
02/25/2010 at 10:08 pm
How can you not go with Chocolate?!?!?! Please post MANY pics when you are brave enough to attempt the Mess!!!! I am not brave and it will be awhile before Henry has this pleasure!
02/28/2010 at 8:51 am
Fingerpainting with pudding? That sounds like a lot of fun!
What about a sticker collage? Dollar store stickers on construction paper – sounds like fun for me!
03/01/2010 at 8:19 am
Ooh, I’m so glad you posted this. I love the pudding and sticker ideas. I don’t have any good ones, as I haven’t attempted anything crafty with D yet.
By the way, where did you get that paint-hand thing? It is too cute! Oh, and I love Jaden’s smile!
Sorry I keep forgetting to check out your blog. For some reason, Google Reader won’t let me subscribe to it.
03/01/2010 at 11:20 am
I found it at Target.
No worries about blog-checking…I’m not really consistent enough to warrant consistent checks. But I will report the Google Reader thing to my IT guy (read: husband) to see what he thinks.
03/01/2010 at 8:46 am
Ok..he is just STEPS away from, glitter, glue and macaroni!! Tell him I am on my way with my handy Bag O Crafting tricks! Hehe…great post!
03/03/2010 at 10:10 am
We haven’t even entered the crafty domain at all yet. The magnitute of messes might be more than I can handle…at least right now. I’m thinking our first attempt to finger paint will be done outdoors…in the driveway. This mama has some issues…and I guess I need to get over them quick.
Actually…we did have a quick attempt at using chalk the other night on the board in the kitchen…and after a few “artsy” marks…the chalk went directly into the mouth. That is the main reason I don’t think we are ready for our little artist to break out yet. The tools of the trade will just be a snack right now.