Thanksgiving Card

I woke up one day with an itching to do a craft.  I decided to make turkey-hands with my boy.  My original idea was just to do a simple painted hand, where I painted the palm of his hand brown, and his fingers different colors, but when I got started, Ephraim had a different idea.  He didn't want his hands painted, and he wanted to be painting with the paintbrush, and as many of you know, there is no reasoning with a 16 month old.  However, the end result is something that I like even more, so I decided to share how I made a hand-turkey craft that is toddler friendly!

Contact Paper Collage

This activity provides some of the fun of stickers without the stickers stuck everywhere :)

Age:

15 months (definitely fun for older children as well)

Skills:

Fine Motor, Creativity

Dobby Costume

Yes, this is a no-sew, super cute, DIY costume for boys.  This costume cost me about $3 to put together and took me maybe an hour.  If you don't have a glue gun or fiberfill on hand it might add a little bit to the cost, but it is still super inexpensive.  It was so easy, and I think it's super cute.  Bonus, you get to show off your nerdiness and pass it on to a younger generation.   Yeah!  We are going to use it as a part of a family costume theme.  My husband will be Harry Potter and I will be Ginny, but I think it is a cute stand-alone costume as well.

Bag Painting

This activity would be good for older toddlers and preschool age children.  After a little prep work it is a mess free way to paint!

Age: 

15 months, but I will be trying this again when he is older

Skills:

Fine Motor, Pre-writing

Shaving Cream

This activity is a bit messy but so much fun!  It's great for days when you can't get out of the house and everyone is a bit antsy.

Age: 

14 months-15 months (exercise caution with young children who may try and put it in their mouths, this would be fun even with older children)

Painter's Tape

Painter's Tape is a wonderful invention, and it makes for a quick easy activity.

Age: 

14-15 months

Q-tips in a Jar

This is a simple activity that requires a little bit of prep work, but then minimal supervision after that.  It's easy to take on-the-go and it is pretty quiet.

Age:

14-15 months (Use caution with young children who like to stick things in their mouth, because some of the objects used can be a choking hazard.)