Craft Projects to Do with your Two-Year-Old
by Terri Bose, of MakingFriends.com 

When my daughter, Jamie, was two, she loved to glue. I would cut out magazine pictures, wrapping paper, grocery store circulars -- just about anything and put them in a box for her to sort through and pick out her favorites to glue on paper. 

The bigger the paper, the better. Glue sticks were OK but she preferred anything messy especially glitter glue.  One of her favorite activities became gluing food that I cut out from the circulars into a drawing of a shopping cart.

I got bored with the cutting and designed simple paper dolls with bright clothing. I'll never forget the look on her face when I offered her the first doll and some clothes. Jamie squealed with delight, picked out a pair of tights, pasted them right over the dolls face and announced that she just made a "Friend".

I've since designed many more paper dolls and, of course, you can get them all on-line here at Making Friends.

Our visitors had many more good ideas for crafting with two year-olds. Here are some of the ideas with thanks to all who contributed.

--Terri

"You can make tie die butterflies using coffee filters and dipping them in Kool-Aid, or you can let them color them with markers and then dip them into a cup of water to let the color bleed."
--Tonya, of Raleigh NC

"I have a 2 year old and she likes to string large hole beads onto a shoestring. The large beads can be fun and the end of the shoestring makes it easy for her to get it into the bead. 
--Tracy, Illinois

"Two's usually love to just paste bits of paper onto another sheet of paper. They like to use self-adhesive stickers and plaster those all over a piece of paper. They can paste cotton balls on a sheep picture to make a Christmas ornament."
--Barb

"My son loves to make crafts but it is difficult for him to do many different things. We use a lot of craft foam and glue. Sometimes I cut out specific patterns and he glues them together decorating them with stickers or markers and other times I give him children's scissors and he makes his own masterpiece with the foam and glue."
--Rachel, Lake Ariel, PA

"I let a two year old use fabric paints & her hands to make handprints and different designs on a T-shirt. She had a ball & was very proud to have designed her own shirt!"
--Anonymous 

"Craft foam is wonderful for kids as little as two. When my younger daughter was two, we made pencil holders for her sisters. Each holder uses just one sheet. Cut two pencil shapes, the same size. I did the cutting, and she did the gluing (with help) and used stickers to decorate them with. She was so proud of herself. Her sisters still have the pouches, 3 years later. The materials are not too important with a two year old. They are happy with paper. The project just has to be simple enough for them to do. If the project is something for them to play with, small parts are not a good idea, i.e.-wiggle eyes. Have fun and be ready to admire where ever their creativity leads them."
--April, New York

"Ask your two year old to fingerpaint a picture -- with chocolate pudding!!! He(she) will enjoy cleaning up, too! He can lick his fingers clean! Let the painting dry and put it in a construction paper or other frame."
--D. J., Simi Valley, California

"Shaving cream just on the table is great finger paint that cleans up with towel only. Roll on deodorant bottles with liquid tempera paint makes a huge ballpoint pen. Just pop the ball out fill with paint and pop ball back in. Rice, oatmeal, beans or noodles in a dish pan is a great sensory experience let her use measuring cups, funnels, strainer, pastry brush etc. Good luck and stay calm it will clean up she is learning a lot.
--Debby

"My son is one and he LOVES to have his hand traced, he likes finger paint in the bath tub, he likes to play with Kool-aid play dough and color with markers."
--Nichole, Bingham Canyon, Utah

"Take a clean, empty Pringle's can and put inside a sheet of white paper. Soak several marbles or 1" pieces of sponge in several colors of paint. Put the lid on and let the kids shake."
--Barbara, Woodbury, MN

"You can do just about anything. You might have to adjust it some but you would be surprised how much they already know."
--Anonymous 

"Use juice can lids, stickers they can attach and add a small piece of magnet to the back for a special frig decoration they made themselves".
--Shirley, Ontario, Canada

"Let child mold colorful clay from an art store that will harden around silverware. Let harden and this can be your child's own personal utensils".
--Linnea, Hartford, WI

"Easy ones. Like threading cardboard bookmarks. You take a bookmark and punch holes along the pattern. Then,you use thread to sew in and out the holes."
--Tay, Port Dickson, N.S.D.K., Malaysia

"My grandson age 2 love to string pony beads, sidewalk art and winter snowpainting is a lot of fun for the little ones."
--Anonymous 

"Making fish bowls; take two paper bowls, cut the middle out of one. Put blue see through paper to cover the hole (this is the water). Then decorate with markers and glue yellow goldfish crackers to the inside of the other bowl. Staple the two together insides together. Ta da, a fish tank."
--Rachel, Oregon

"Most two year olds love to paint with pudding--it's easily accessible--messy (just what a two year old likes)--and safe if they put it in their mouths (which you know they are going to do no matter what it is)!"
--Marlyce, Utah

"You'll need a cone shaped thread spool, large bead with hole all the way through and yarn or fishing line, crayons or markers, stickers, etc. Have children decorate the cones however they choose, then make a hole in the cone near the widest opening. Attach the string to the bead and leave about 10 inches long then thread string through the hole and attach bead. They can then try catching the bead in the spool. I made these with children 2 years and up and they still love them."
--Jane, Rutland, Vermont

"Make tulips from their painted little hands. The hand is the tulip (paint one color, such as red) and then wipe off (you don't have to be fussy as they are not using that part of their hand again...we did three tulips, you could do more or less!) and paint the side of their hand (from the outside of the pinky down to the wrist with green paint. After they make the tulip from their hand have them use the ""karate chop"" position to make the stem (straight line down and then go to each side of the stem bottom out at an angle to make a leaf on both sides of the stem! At the top of their paper I added a little poem that I made up...(a computer graphic of kids holding up a little sign that enclosed the poem) I will share...It says: My hands though small can do so much. They help me learn with every touch. Look carefully at these tulips, because right before your eyes, you will see my special handprints...Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! I did this with my two year old class and they loved it! And the mothers did too...some even framed them!"
--Nan, Long Island, NY

"Any thing with food!! Use icing for glue. Use cereals, crackers, fruit etc. to make mosaics on paper plates. Paint with the icing!! Use different colors of icing, whipped cream (use a little food coloring.) Arrange apple slices, banana slices etc. in patterns. The child will quickly understand the pattern and be able to replicate it. All in all, with food crafts a two year old will not have to be told "no" to eating the craft materials!!!"
--Michelle, Sherman, TX

"As a two year old daycare teacher, I have found the messier the project the better! One of my class' favorite things to do is play in shaving cream-- I just watch them very closely! My kids also love paint in any fashion-- at the easel, with sponges, and especially with their hands! I feel the process and exploration is much more important than the finished project for two year olds."
--Krista of Cincinnati, Ohio

"Take two paper plates and staple them together putting beans or rice in the middle. Let the child paint or glue or put stickers and ribbon on the outside making their own tambourine".
--Wendy, Sheridan, Wyoming

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