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Simple and Easy Toddler Crafts

One of our favourite ways to keep our toddlers entertained and happy when stuck at home is easy, simple crafts.

From making apple prints to salt dough decorations.

So that you can enjoy the fun we’ve collated the best simple and easy toddler crafts for you in one place so you and your tot can enjoy them too!

So here you go our easy A-Z of toddler crafts to do at home together.

toddler finger painting with text overlay reading A-Z of Toddler Crafts

These ideas will work with your Toddlers all the way through to preschool.

Fun Toddler Crafts

So here it is our complete A to Z of Craft Ideas for toddlers and you to do together. Spend Quality time having fun and you never know it may get your creative juices going as well.

A IS FOR ABSTRACT ART WITH TODDLERS

toddler in high chair finger painting

Don’t expect Toddler Art projects to look like what you would expect so our early toddler crafts I always label Abstract Art. It’s fun and you can do it in a number of ways depending on the season and

B IS FOR BUTTERFLY CRAFTS FOR TODDLERS

toddler making butterfly prints

Do you remember creating these as a kid – folded paper blot print butterflies so easy to make and your toddler will love to unfold the paper.

We simplify it by cutting out butterfly shapes already and then give a folded in half to make sure that the wings unfold evenly.

Got more than one child at home and love to do crafts but finding it tricky? Check out our top tips for crafting with 2 or more kids under 4! We did it and so can you!

C IS FOR CRAFT EQUIPMENT THAT YOU NEED TO GET CREATIVE WITH TODDLERS

If you are new to toddler crafts or the mere thought of crafting with toddlers fills you with dread!

Then making sure you have exactly what you need ready and easy to access is a great start.

You don’t need much to get you started in our Amazon Shop you will find some of the materials we use.

The basics would be paints, crayons, pencils, pens, chalks, paper, card, glue and some wiggly eyes.

But check out our store for Suggestions for your Toddler Art and Craft Box.

D IS FOR DRAWING FOR FUN!

toddlers and preschoolers drawing with crayons and challks at a play table.

Whether sitting at the table or taking art to the floor or under the table drawing is great for kids.

We have crayons, pencils, pens and chalks that are easily accessible to the kids (pens and pencils they ask to use due to injuries incurred using them!).

E IS FOR EXPLORING ARTIST WITH YOUR TODDLER

mondrian art project made by a toddler

Toddler craft encompasses art as well – to them it’s all the same, and that’s the way it should.

We’ve had lots of fun exploring artists.

Some Mondrian Stained Glass Windows and paintings.

Recreating Monet’s Water Lilly Pond with wax resist painting.

Using dot markers to create a sunset like Roy Lichtenstein and drawing on the “ceiling” like Michelangelo.

F IS FOR FINGER PAINTING FUN

young toddler in a high chair with finger paints

Introducing your toddler to finger Paints if fun.

You can buy some or our homemade recipe’s for edible finger paints is ideal for Toddlers to create crafts of their own especially if they are in the phase of putting everything in their mouths still.

G IS FOR GLITTER

It may get everywhere, you will find it in places that you wonder how on earth your toddler put it there!

But you can’t deny that it lights up their eyes when the tub comes up.

I think it’s the way it sparkles and reflects the light that attracts them to it. And now with biodegradable glitter, it’s even kind to the environment.

Our Glitter hanging hearts are a lot of fun to make, whether it’s Valentines or just to hang from a window to sparkle in the daylight and brighten up a room they are a perfect toddler craft.

H IS FOR HANDPRINT CRAFTS TO TODDLERS

Creating First Christmas Ornaments with babies

Even without making it a craft your home is probably decorated with little handprints but how about turning them into something special.

A rainbow fish maybe, or how about sending special cards to family members next Christmas.

But don’t stop there you can make some handprint Christmas decorations or anything you want.

I IS FOR INDEPENDENT EXPLORATION

Not everything your toddler creates has to be Pinterest worthy.

In fact, most of them won’t be but creativity comes from the exploration of materials and techniques.

So give you toddler the materials, prepare for the mess and let them independently explore crafts themselves.

Good things to provide are

  • Shaped Sponges or even cut up potatoes and paint
  • Paint and different sized brushes and colours
  • Sticky Tape and bits and bobs
  • Glue and Bits and Bobs
  • Stickers and coloured paper
  • Junk, paint, sticky tape, glue and some paper

Check out some of these simple Sticker Activities for Toddlers that you and they can do using the materials you provide.

J IS FOR JUNK MODELING

junk modelling examples

Or more accurately bits that I have rescued from the recycling bin that are just “perfect” for toddler crafting.

Think egg cartons (to make ghoststrains or frogs).

Boxes (a wall for Humpty Dumpty).

Cardboard Tubes (a log for the frogsa space rocketmonsters – well just about anything you can think of).

And every other bit of recycling can be used for their crafting fun.

K IS FOR KNIGHTS

We read a lot and love a bit of Knights and dragons so creating dress-up clothes of knights to wear is extra fun as brings the books alive.

Like our paper bag knights helmet and our shield or even a dragon to fight them with.

Some creative cutting from us Mum’s and carers and they have fully functioning gear to use and dragons to combat.

L IS FOR LIONS

paper plate lion craft to make with toddlers

One of my all time favourite toddlers crafts is our Lion Paper Plate Craft.

I model what I was going to do and watch as the toddlers join in copying what I am doing.

You can even adapt it a little and use handprints like above.

adult modelled version of the paper plate lion

M IS FOR MONSTERS

Children are always fascinated by monsters and you can create them any way you like.

We made monsters for Halloween by cutting shapes and sticking them together.

But you could equally make mini monster puppets.

N IS FOR NATURE CRAFTS

leaf art

Toddlers love picking up things when out and about and finding somewhere to store them can be problematic so why not craft with them.

Pine cone owls, Real Leaf Art Work and Pine Cone Ornaments are all made with nature finds from our walks.

O IS FOR OUTDOOR CRAFTS

It follows on so nicely from Nature Crafts, but it’s about taking your craft outside and getting crafty there.

We did some apple printing outside, but how about foot print wrapping paper or how about just taking the crafting back to the basics and setting up an easel and free painting.

P IS FOR PRINTING, PAINT AND POTATOES

toddler making potato proints

Okay so it’s the first letter with lots and lots of things but Potato Printing with Paint is such a fun activity.

To make it easier for little hands to hold the potatoes cut a handle into the curved surface to make it easier to use.

Have a go at some Snowmen and Tree Thank you Cards in winter.

Q IS FOR QUEENS CROWNS

How you decorate them is up to you – it doesn’t have a to be a Queen’s crown it could be a King’s!

An easy toddler craft – card, and bits and bobs you can create something to add to the dressing up box for a while and all done with the toddler’s hands.

R IS FOR ROLLED ART

Have you tried it – a cardboard box some paper/card and something that rolls inside it with paint or glue then roll and shake the box, we made fireworks back in the Autumn with some conkers rolled around as a Guest post over on The Educators Spin On It.

S IS FOR SALT DOUGH

Making Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils

Salt dough is a great homemade clay like dough which can be baked and then painted.

A favourite to make Christmas decorations with but don’t restrict it just for Christmas.

Have a go at making some salt dough dinosaur fossils.

Because we also know that toddlers are impatient we created our microwave salt dough recipe. Perfect for cutting the time that salt dough takes to dry down to minutes instead of hours.

T IS FOR  TISSUE PAPER

using tissue paper to create a stained glass effect

Tissue paper is fantastic, it’s relatively mess-free and when used with contact paper (or sticky back plastic as we called it growing up) you can create pretty sun catchers and designs.

Why not create a stained glass window or a sun catcher ladybird.

toddler using tissue paper to create a suncatcher

U IS FOR UNDER THE WAVES CRAFTS

Spin art fish

Children are fascinated by what lives below the waves so any craft that you can do around that is fabulous for them.

We had a lot of fun making some paper plate Jellyfish/Octopus as well as making Paper Plate Fish and Rainbow Fish Hand Prints.

V IS FOR VERY MESSY

You can get very messy with art.

But a bath will always help at the end.

Make sure you use washable paints.

Painting is a sensory experience and not just sight let them mix the colours with their hands just covered up everything around them.

W IS FOR WAITING FOR THINGS TO DRY

It’s the hardest thing for Toddlers to get, projects that take time to dry before moving onto the next stage, so how do we stop and let it dry before continuing.

Time crafts so that you can finish them at around snack time, lunch time, dinner time, play outdoor time you get the idea.

The incentive to leave what they are doing, get clean and move onto something that won’t be as messy (messy=fun) needs to be good usually work and reduces the tantrums.

Things then can be put to dry and then come back to them and finish them off.

X IS FOR XMAS

OK so I have taken some liberty here as the only other X’s I could think of was X Ray and Xylophone which really wouldn’t work for toddler crafts.

But Xmas/Christmas is perfect for toddler crafting there are so many ideas we’ve put them all in one place.

So check out our easy toddler Christmas crafts.

Y IS FOR YELLOW – OR ANY OTHER COLOUR

Being a toddler means that colours are amazing.

You can try some mess free colour mixing in zip lock bags using crayons, pens.

Z IS FOR ZEBRA SKIN MAKING

Our last letter – it’s a Zebra Skin Making (it also rhymes nicely with our Abstract Art Painting which kicked off the series).

Yes, we have actually made Zebra skin’s and tiger skins, using torn paper they were great fun to make and tearing the paper is great for little hands to do as well.

Check out these Seasonal Crafting Ideas for Toddlers: –

Try your hand at these easy Easter crafts for toddlers that you can do together to create some eggs, bunnies and chicks.
simple halloween crafts for toddlers

Check out these fun simple Easter crafts to do with your toddlers from simple little lambs to Christian Crosses this guide will inspire you and your little one to celebrate Easter through simple crafts.

Looking to continue the crafting past Easter then check out these crafts ideas for Spring with Toddlers.

Want to make Halloween not too spooky then discover some fantastically easy Halloween Crafts that your toddler will actually be able to do.

Check out these other fantastic Kids Activities Selections for more Ideas of what to do with the kids.

Author
Cerys Parker

Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, teacher, mum, and home educator from the UK. She loves getting creative, whether it is with simple and easy crafts and ideas, activities to make learning fun, or delicious recipes that you and your kids can cook together you'll find them all shared here on Rainy Day Mum.

5 Comments

  1. I love these ideas!! I cannot wait to do some of these with my little one!

  2. Crafts are really important for kids, I think. Helps them build creativity.
    But please be cautious of what they’re doing their work on – kids can get back and neck problems too.
    I bought a cute desk from United Canada Inc and it’s worked wonders for my little one.

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