" Simple craft ideas that are suitable for small children "

Dots, dots, commas, dashes, the moon face is ready. An old nursery rhyme for the little ones and their first artistic steps. "Being creative" begins at a very young age. Colorful cloths, twigs and different colors are perfect ingredients when toddlers want to do handicrafts. From simple and fewcraft materials small masterpieces are created. We give you helpful tips and suggestions for simple crafts with toddlers. Many beautiful and above all simple craft ideas will help you to get creative with your children.

Positive impact on development

Even simple handicrafts with children have a decisive influence on many important developmental steps of the little ones. First and foremost, it is fine motor skills that are enormously encouraged when doing handicrafts. Support your child with slightly more difficult tasks and always give positive encouragement when something is done well. In this way, children feel confirmed in their actions. This in turn strengthens their personality and self-confidence.

Children painting with a kindergarten teacher

Along the way, children learn how to create beautiful things from just a few materials using simple craft ideas. Imagination is initially required when the various materials are laid out in front of the little craft heroes. It is very helpful to have a pattern ready so that all the crafters can estimate what can be created in the end. However, deviations are of course not a flaw, but merely the result of individual creativity. Ultimately, simple handicrafts with children also train the ability to concentrate. An essential foundation for the rest of their lives.

What needs to be taken into account when crafting with children?

Crafting with small children naturally requires your supervision and assistance. Although toddlers can already work quite independently from the age of two, not everything can be done without help. You also need to pay attention to the craft materials. Sharp edges, poisonous paints or objects that are too small do not belong in the hands of little crafters. Beads are a popular crafting material. However, they are less suitable for toddlers under the age of three. Now it's time to provide the table with a surface and equip the little artists with a pretty apron before they can finally get started.

Little girl painting with watercolors

Simple craft ideas for the little ones

Toddlers don't yet have that much stamina and patience. It is therefore important to implement simple projects and easy craft ideas. Motifs and inspiration directly from nature are particularly popular when it comes to simple crafts with children. Here you will also find craft ideas that are easy to make. Use your next walk to collect a few small twigs, stones and leaves. You can always use these for one or two projects when crafting with your children.

1. creative things with colors

At toddler age, children still explore many things with their mouths. It is therefore important when handling paints that they are non-toxic. Finger paints or natural-based paints are popular.

When buying, make sure that you buy appropriate products:

Potato printing

Potato printing

We need the following materials for our first project:

• Potatoes
• white scallops
• various colors

Potato printing is one of the first and probably easiest craft ideas. To do this, cut a potato into different shapes. You don't have to make exact circles, triangles or squares. Rather, make sure that the pieces remain large enough and can still be held easily by small hands. To do this, lay out the fabric in front of your child. Now dip the piece of potato in the desired color and press it onto the fabric. This will create different patterns or even small pictures.

Colorful finger paint pictures on paper plates

Finger paints are ideal for the little ones. Choose a maximum of four different colors. That's quite enough. Now dip the little fingers in the desired color and paint on the paper plate. Try it out and let your child get creative with the brush on the paper plate.

Children playing with finger paints

2. egg carton - versatile possibilities

Everyone has at least one egg carton in the household. They are simply wonderful for crafting. Cut out the individual containers beforehand and then place them in front of your child to paint. Decide in advance what you would like to create:

• small caterpillars
• ladybugs
• bunnies
• cats

For the ladybug, for example, paint the container with red paint and add black dots. The antennae are made from chenille wire, which you attach. In addition to small animals, you can also glue great collages from the cardboard. This time, the individual containers are also colored first and then glued onto a large piece of cardboard.

Egg carton

This is a great project that you can do together with older children. Natural materials such as twigs and leaves can also be used here.

3. simple craft ideas with paper

Take old magazines, newspapers and crepe paper. Your child can now tear these into small pieces to their heart's content. These are then formed into small balls. This requires a little skill. The pieces are then put together to form a picture on a piece of paper that has previously been coated with glue. A lot of imagination is required here. Instead of paper, use a paper plate as a base. This time only crepe paper is used. It is best to use only two different colors. Now glue the paper balls in a circle from the outside to the inside. One strip of red and one strip of blue, for example. This requires a great deal of concentration. However, many little artists are well up to the task.

4. cardboard rolls and fabrics

Soft fabrics and cardboard rolls are the perfect craft materials for small children.

As a precaution, keep an empty cardboard roll for the next craft afternoon.

Small octopuses

For the octopuses, take an empty toilet roll and paint it with blue paint. Simply stick on two wiggly eyes and cut a third of the roll several times at the bottom end. This way, the octopus tentacles appear as if by magic. Different colors can be used to create imaginative sea creatures.

Cardboard rolls

Colorful birds in plumage

Paint the cardboard rolls brightly here. You can also use small paper balls made from crepe paper to embellish them. The beak is easily created by cutting a small piece of colored paper so that it forms a triangle when folded. Glue on the beak, paint on a few eyes and attach feathers for decoration.

Imaginative sun made from fabric strips

Cut different strips from different fabrics. Coat a large piece of cardboard with enough glue. For better orientation, stick a circular piece of fabric in the middle. From there, the children can take it in turns to place the strips of fabric. This creates a wonderfully colorful sun.

There are in fact numerous craft ideas that are easy to do with small children. As a parent, it is important that you always help your child to do it themselves. This is the only way for the little ones to learn and experience progress.