Art projects for 1.5 year olds?

I'd really like to try art projects other than coloring with the girls. I feel like we are at that phase where the girls are really curious, but I'm not sure how to channel that curiosity into art with their limited skill set.

For example, today I thought it would be fun to see if the girls liked glue sticks. I cut shapes our of construction paper and tried to get them to stick the shapes to paper, the table, themselves... really anything by the end of the project. Instead, the girls used the glue sticks as chapstick. They ended out having more fun with the ice cubes that spilled out of my drink, which I knocked over while trying to convince a twin not to eat the glue stick.

So far, coloring ON the new table has been the most successful art activity. Sigh.

What art projects do you do with your 1.5 year olds?

 

At that age, I had a hard time doing art projects with the kids. I'm not a very creative person at all. If the mess doesn't bother you, maybe you could try finger painting with them?

 

I took whipped cream and let the girls "paint" on the table with it. They had a blast and had fun eating it too. As that got older, I took shaving cream and used that because it was cheaper and they were old enough to understand not to get it in their eyes.

 

We haven't gotten to the point of being able to do much as far as art projects yet. We have crayons and a few coloring books, but mostly they still just break the crayons or try to chew on them (and once they are broken, DS1 just holds them up to me and says "uh oh, uh oh, uh oh" and won't even try to use them :laughing. I figure it will be awhile until we can do any other kind of art.

 

How about baby friendly water paintings on an old bed sheet/blanket. Have fun

 

You will be scratching your head when I'm done...lol...but don't be afraid to a.) TRY IT and b.) get messy!

1.) Shaving cream. Kids LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Get plain, non scented. I squirt it on the table for my kids and they have at it. Add more stuff-cars, etc, and it lasts longer.

2.) Painting-watercolors, tempera, finger paints. Get some canvas and use acrylic paints and some brushes-great artwork comes out of that.

3.) Get large sheets of paper(I actually have butcher paper, but I've seen those easel rolls they sell), and tape it to the ground. Use crayons and color. Or you could paint-paint tracks with cars, trucks, etc.

4.) Get a box-like a shirt box or something that has depth. Get a marble, or two, or seven. Tape a piece of paper inside the box. Squeeze some drops of paint into the box, add marbles, and marble paint!

5.) Tape some paper to the bottom of a table(kid size preferably) or a bottom of a chair. Have them color on the paper while laying on their backs. Like they are Da Vinci.

6.) Chalk paint(driveway)-Here's a website with a recipe. It really comes out pretty bright. Chalk Paint

7.) Paint elsewhere. Paint outside. Take an easel(if you have one) and bring it outside. Or tape paper to a fence and paint there. The side of the house. Change it up.

8.) Foam stickers. Or stickers in general. Great for fine motor coordination. Let them stick them to the paper which ever way.

9.) As for gluing, you can put the glue down, and let them stick whatever it is you put out for them all over.

HAVE FUN!

 

Our top favourite at that age was fingerpainting. Totally messy (I often stripped the children down to their diapers and stuck them directly in the bath afterwards) but the best fun. Do check if the fingerpaints are fully washable - not all are despite the labels.

We also started with stickers, crayons and watercolours, glueing. Stickers are good if you do not want a mess.

Check out "The Toddler's Busy Book" at the library for more easy ideas.

Have fun!

 

Can you give more explanation on this? Is water painting the same thing as water colors?

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

WOW! You did all that with a 1.5 year old! I am scratching my head... IN AMAZEMENT. Thanks for so many great ideas. I love the marble paint idea. I think I read a variation of this and liked it because it sounds like the mess is semi-contained.

 

I don't mind the mess so much. I am all in favor of stripping them down and letting them paint in diapers outside. I am more concerned about them eating it because, frankly, art things tend to end out in their mouth. You should see our crayons. It looks like woodchucks got them!

 

LOL! No-I haven't done all of that! Variations-sure. I was a preschool teacher in my former life...LOL! One I did do was paint with their feet. Yup-that's a fun one!

Marble painting is neat. And like you said-contained. Just be ready to chase a few marbles around!

 

also you can paint with chocolate pudding

 

We tried this. You won't believe it, but one of my daughters HATES chocolate. She had a blast until she ate it, then it was all over - she refused to touch it and yowled until I hosed her off. I had considered try vanilla, possibly with some strawberries blended in for color, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

I was just coming in to tell you that Meaghan would have great ideas. Looks like she already weighed in. Those all sound like so much fun!

 

I love these ideas and am inspired to try some! We haven't even tried crayons yet so maybe that's a good place to start. I did let each of them play with a colored pencil once and tried to help them draw, but they didn't attempt to do anything on their own but chew on it. The pudding sounds fun too.
Do you just put wax paper down and let them do this at the table? I'm trying to fuigure out the logistics of seating and containing the mess.

 

There have been a lot of great ideas shared!

As for the gluing, you could let them glue with paint brushes & then stick things in the glue-paper, sequins, leaves, sticks, noodles, rice, pieces of fabric. Anything with a notable texture would be good.

You could also make play-doh with them & then let them play with it. My daughter likes to make balls while my son likes to cut the play-doh with toy knives & cookie cutters.

Gak made with glue is fun.

Stamps & stamp pads

Mix a little cornstarch & water & put onto a cookie sheet. It's a cool tactile activity.

 

You might have an easier time with fingerpaints because most brands have some very bitter substance in them to deter eating. Ours taste truly nasty. If the children get their painty hands in their mouth by accident, they very quickly remove them and need a drink of water.

Crayons and pencils were much more of a battle for keeping out of the mouth.