Favorite Toddler Art Activities
From a former Montessori art teacher and full-time stay at home toddler mom (and professional artist).
Did you know I was an early childhood art teacher for 10 years in Montessori schools, art museums, and community centers? I loved every minute of my time sharing my art knowledge with little ones and inspiring them to create whatever they imagined. As I leaned into my career as an artist, my teaching job meant even more to me because I had gained insight into what it would take for any of my little preschoolers to become artists as adults. Their creativity and confidence in expressing themselves was so precious, and I was honored to introduce them to the world of art and help their ideas and fine motor skills flourish!
Now that my own little one is two, we are doing lots of art projects on a daily basis at home and I thought this would be so fun to share! Amazon links are affiliate.
Here are a few of our favorite activities and art materials:
Buddha board- this has been a favorite since he was about one year old. It’s only water so it’s an excellent way to introduce mark making and holding a brush! The board dries in a few minutes and a new doodle can be painted.
Tempera paint sticks- you won’t find anything brighter for little hands that can only push gently! This means it’s super engaging and satisfying to them- I would compare it to drawing with lipstick. So fun!
Playdough- have literally never bought playdough for my classrooms or my child. I always make my own and here is the recipe I use. Add a toy pizza cutter, dough roller, or animal figurines’ feet to stamp!
Liquid watercolors- I have found that dried watercolors are not as satisfying for the toddler age. My son is much more engaged with the bright look and immediate gratification of liquid watercolors. I use these along with a splash of water mixed into spill proof cups.
Collage- a glue stick (or white glue in a little dish/jar lid with a small brush), scraps of paper, and even stickers can be lots of fun! Don’t expect anything to look cool here- my son usually glues all the pieces in one pile!
Coloring pages- yep! We are *ahem* immersed in all things Disney’s Cars and he loves to color on free printable pages. It’s great for getting him excited to make marks and strengthen his hands.
Dry erase markers- we love to draw together with these on our big dry erase board. He often asks me to do the drawing and I will ask him to color it in. This collaborative drawing is also a great way to practice art vocabulary like colors, shapes, and types of lines (straight, wavy, zig zag). If I had a dollar for each truck I’ve drawn on the dry erase board in the past year, well I’d have a few hundred!
Stamps- so fun to have themed stamps about your toddler’s interests, and also to switch them out for seasonal ones.
Tips for getting your toddler to engage with art materials:
Have a table and chair that are correctly sized for your toddler. We have this table which my dad cut about 4 inches off the legs from, and this chair which has been wonderful.
Pull up a little stool or sit on the floor at their table and make art alongside them. This models for them how to use the materials and provides a sense of working together on a common activity, which they love!
If they are focused on their materials, do not interrupt, manage, correct, or try to change what they are doing! Building that ability to focus and get lost in the creative process is really the most important skill for them to be practicing!
In order to have a peaceful and fun activity session, know your limits for mess, and plan for them ahead of time. Do the activity somewhere that is easily cleaned, don’t have special clothes on the child, and have a towel/wipes in arms reach. Follow the child’s lead on what is too messy for them- if they want their hands wiped during the activity that’s fine! If they are comfortable being much messier you can fully clean up at the end. You can even plan painting activities (with acrylic, tempera, or finger paint for example) right before bath time and do them less frequently than the activities mentioned above- this is what I do!
Don’t model an attitude of “I can’t” or “I don’t know how” to draw this or that. Just try! Google a picture of what your child wants to draw and break it up into parts and try your best. Model curiosity, perserverance, and playfulness.