Creative Art Activities for Toddlers

Creative art activities help toddlers increase eye-hand coordination, says the Parenting Toddlers website. As they work "hands-on," they build confidence in themselves through the works they create. According to the iVillage website, art contributes to a child's development, encouraging the child to interact with his environment and learn. Working with your toddler also prepares him for the kinds of activities he will see in preschool.

  1. Day and Night Board

    • This creative art activity allows toddlers to paint, use stickers and create something that helps them learn the difference between day and night. A square piece of cardboard is painted dark blue on one side and light blue on the other. On the dark blue side, the toddler sticks star stickers and a moon sticker to the board (or a moon is cut out of another piece of cardboard and glued on.) The toddler sticks cloud stickers and a sun sticker on the light blue side. (Again, these can also be cut out of other pieces of cardboard, painted and glued on.) The parent takes two pictures of the toddler; one asleep and one awake. The sleeping picture is glued on the "night" side and the awake picture on the "day" side. A ribbon is attached at the top and the board hung on the toddler's wall. The toddler flips the board to show when it is night and day.

    Pasta Jewelry

    • Toddlers create pasta necklaces and bracelets in this creative art activity. Macaroni and other string-able pastas are placed in a bowl that contains rubbing alcohol and food coloring, which colors the pasta. The noodles are allowed to dry on a paper towel and then placed into clean bowls, sorted according to color and shape. Dental floss is measured according to the appropriate necklace and bracelet size. The toddler strings the noodles onto the floss, creating jewelry.

    Egg Carton Bug

    • This creative art activity makes an egg-carton ant. The toddler learns the different parts of an ant, and this can also be done to make other bugs. For this activity, three cups are cut from an egg carton. The toddler paints the cups red. The cups dry and a parent glues them together. Two holes are poked into the top of the first cup and two black pipe cleaners are inserted to make antennas. The toddler shapes the antennas by bending them. One hole is poked into either side of each cup and pipe cleaners are inserted to make legs (six total). The toddler shapes the legs. Wiggly eyes or two pieces of round cereal are glued to the front of the first cup and a mouth is drawn with a black marker.

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