What are some good art and crafts projects to do with 1 year olds?

Question

I work in a daycare and we want fun new ideas to do with them. We don't want original ideas like painting, playdoh, hand and foot prints, etc. Does anyone have any unique and different ideas?

Answer 1

I have a 1-year old cousin who i like to play with him a lot. here are some activities I do. using food coloring, dye rigatoni noodles different colors. 1-year olds would have fun with this simple arts and crafts activity!! too do this easily, put a tablespoon of vinegar in a zipper baggie with 6 drops of food coloring. then add a handful of pasta, seal the bag tightly, and shake. let it sit for several minutez before removing the pasta and allowing it to dry on a paper towel. help ur child learn the order of the colors of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet). allow them to make rainbow necklaces by stringing the pasta on a piece of yarn in the order that the colors appear in the rainbow. ur child may also choose to make a pattern from the colors. another great way to introduce colors is a colour basket. fill it with all sorts of items that can be passed around of that color. Red apples, a red feather boa, red flowers, red stuffed animals, etc- stuff they can touch and feel, and enjoy.

get a sand/water table. you can fill it with all sorts of sensory things- hard beans, noodles, water, sand, cotton balls, etc. it really helps kids learn by feel.

Hope that helps! ^_^

Answer 2

make 3D objects like with coins, buttons, it wouldn't hurt to use some paint, popsicle sticks, and legos maybe. use glue

Answer 3

You can make puppets out of socks or paper bags and let the kids design them. You can also do a Paper Collage. This is very simple and requires no glue. You need a piece of clear Con-tac paper. You can find this at the dollar store or any other discount chain store. Place the piece of paper on a table or hang it on the wall, sticky side up. Give toddlers pieces of tissue paper and let them stick it to the paper. They will be fascinated by the feel of the Con-tac paper and they will have a beautiful piece of artwork to hang in the window.

    Jello or Pudding Painting. Not only can toddlers manipulate and feel the paint, they can also eat it. Mix some jello or pudding in bowl. Let the toddler paint with it. Wait a couple of hours to dry. They will have a portrait that will look good enough to eat.

    Footprint painting. This is an activity that is best done outside. Place butcher paper on the ground. Allow children to step in washable tempura paint and walk around on the paper. They will be amazed at their footprints. But watch out, they may want to make hand prints as well.    

    Scented play-dough. Toddlers will enjoy the great smell while exercising their little fingers. They can form many shapes with play-dough and it can be used many times over.

Just follow the recipe below for a wonderful sensory activity.

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups salt

2 TBLS. cream of tarter

1 sm. pkg. jello (any flavor)

2 pkgs. unsweetened koolaid (same flavor as jello)

3 TBSP. oil

3 cups water

mix and cook over medium heat until not sticky to touch. you must keep stirring because it will stick at the bottom of the pan. once it starts forming a ball it will become hard to stir. This play-dough has a great smell, texture and will last for 9 months to a year.

My mom's friend suggests:



  When my kids were that age we made bead necklaces and worked on patterns and colors. We used yarn and large and medium beads (beads that would be easily threaded with tight yarn or thick thread). We used all kinds not just plastic ones but bone ones, different shapes, colors, stones. I have a crown, a couple of necklaces, bracelets, and even an anklet in my hope chest they have made me. I cut out shapes or parts of animals and plants from construction paper and used glue sticks to make collages or have them try to copy the animal or plant that I had made. Some of the abstract art they have made even hangs in my hallway. LOL We have made drums and shakers out of old coffee cans and 20 oz soda bottles. At that age they can do that type of stuff till they are three. Just some stuff we have done on rainy days or cold days. I have even let them "make me up with make up teaching them their face parts.

Even though you asked for non-original ideas these have a new twist.

Answer 4

yes make gloop , its really simple and will keep you amused as well : you have to put some corn flour in a bowl and gradually and i mean gradually add water and stirr until it becomes liquid or so it seems because as you stirr it, it turns hard its really weird! you can pick it up and play around with it in your hands and its a solid ball as soon as you stop playing with it, it immidietly turns liuid again . Its great fun and will dry out on clothes and carpets to be hoovered up no problem .