Easy Toddler Crafts

Crafting is a great way for toddlers and their parents to have fun together. It's a great way to fight boredom and teach your child important skills. You can almost certainly find enough materials around the house to help your child create something, so there's no reason that your child can't craft any time he wishes to.

Here's some Toddler Craft Ideas to get you started:

* Paper bag puppets - This craft is fun to make and fun to play with when it's done. Your child can make a simple one that requires no scissors or small parts by drawing a face on the base of the bag with crayons or markers. If you want to go more elaborate, you could help your child add googly eyes and construction paper ears, noses and limbs.

* Floating sailboats - It's easy to make a sailboat with your toddler. Simply use a ball of Play Doh to stand a drinking straw up on the inside of a margarine tub lid. Cut a right-angled triangle out of construction paper for the sail, decorate it, and punch three holes along the edge. Weave the straw through the holes, and you have a new toy sailboat.

* Paper plate masks - Making masks out of paper plates is very easy for toddlers with a little adult help. Just cut two eye holes, and punch a hole in each side. Thread some elastic through these holes and tie the ends, and let your child decorate the mask as he chooses.

* Pipe cleaner figurines - Pipe cleaners are very easy for toddlers to work with. With a little guidance, they can use them to make all sorts of animals, people and things.

* Coin bank - Every toddler needs a bank to put his money in. He can create his own using an empty oatmeal box or other cylindrical box with a lid. You'll need to cut a slot in the lid, but he can do most of the rest by himself. Just have him decorate a piece of construction paper (that you've cut to the right size) with markers, stickers, and other items, and help him glue it around the box.

* Painting - Young artists love to paint. It can, however, get messy, so be sure to cover the work area with newspapers and the child's clothing with a smock. Finger painting is one of the most popular art forms among toddlers, but they also love watercolors.

Fun Craft of the Month Clubs

Crafts are good for kids. They can keep them productively occupied while you're doing work around the house, or give you something to do together. Crafting helps kids learn new skills and gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Crafting is especially good for small children. They can gain hand-eye coordination, learn about shapes and colors, and more. But most crafts require the use of scissors, which can be difficult for a toddler to use properly. Even the small, blunt children's scissors can be too much of a challenge.

However, there are some crafts that your toddler can create without scissors. Here are a few to choose from:

* Pipe cleaner crafts - Making things out of pipe cleaners is lots of fun, and it doesn't require any scissors. And it's not messy, either. Pipe cleaners are the only supplies needed. Your child can make people, animals, flowers and more out of colorful pipe cleaners.

* Finger painting - Finger painting can be very messy, but kids love it and it doesn't require scissors or anything else that could be dangerous. It also provides parents with some nice art for the wall or refrigerator. Just outfit your child with a smock, cover the area with newspapers, and let him create a masterpiece.

* Stickers - Kids love stickers, so why not let them make their own? You can find stickers with outlines that your child can color in at discount stores, or you can buy blank ones and let your child decorate them as he wishes. In a pinch, you could even give your child blank printer labels to decorate for use as stickers. Washable markers and glitter glue will minimize the mess factor.

* Sculpting - Sculpture is a wonderful art for kids. They can make figurines, paperweights and more using only their hands and some Play-Doh. There's no baking required, and Play-Doh is non-toxic.

* Magnets - Refrigerator magnets are both fun to make and useful. There are all sorts of ways your child can make them without using scissors. Clothespin magnets are great for holding shopping lists and other important notes. To make them, simply let your child decorate clothespins with magic markers. Then attach a self-adhesive magnet to the back. Magnets can also be created with Play-Doh, clay, seashells, or inkjet business cards. Virtually anything that is not too heavy will work.

These are just a few of the crafts your toddler can create without the use of scissors. You can find even more ideas online and in kids' craft books. And if you cut the materials before giving them to your child, there are even more things he can create. So don't avoid crafting with your child just because he can't use scissors. There are plenty of things he can make without them.