Coloring- It’s an old standby, and there’s a reason for that. It’s fun! Buy non-toxic crayons for your little ones who like to put everything in their mouths. Use blank paper and just scribble away. There is no need to buy fancy coloring books. Chances are, your child would ignore the pictures and just scribble anyway. Try letting your child put his hand on top of yours while you draw squiggly lines and spirals.
Gluing - All you need is some glue and some paper. Give your toddler some colorful shapes or pictures cut from magazines to glue down any way he likes. (You do the cutting in advance.) Show your older toddler how to make glue dots so that she doesn’t use too much. With a younger toddler, you put the glue on for her and let her stick it and pat it down.
Another Gluing Project- Glue shapes to a paper towel tube. It’s fun because it will roll or stand up on its own when you are finished.
Play Dough- Again, buy (or make) non-toxic, because it looks so yummy. Roll balls, make snakes, pat it down into pancakes. This is a good one to do in the high chair or kitchen floor. (Stay away from the carpet!) Give your toddler tools to use, such as spoons, forks, bowls, or even a stick to poke into the play dough. Here’s an easy recipe for easy homemade play dough:
1 cup cold water
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Food coloring
Optional - a few drops of vanilla, peppermint, or almond extract to make it smell nice
Mix together water, salt, oil and food coloring. Mix flour and cornstarch and add 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to blend. Cover your hands with flour, then knead the dough until it is the right consistency.
Finger Paint- Oooy, Gooey! Try painting with chocolate pudding on a white paper plate. Fun, and yummy too! (Moms recommend doing this one with no shirt on.) You can also add a little food coloring to vanilla pudding to make interesting colors or swirls.