Unroll the paper and cut off any excess.
Spread the paper flat and let your child use crayons and glitter to decorate one side of the paper.
Roll the paper back into a cone and staple it to create the hat.
Celebration Picture
Here is an unusual way for your child to create a festive picture.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
Tempera paint
Pie tins
Paper noisemakers
Construction paper or poster board
Confetti
Pour the paint into the pie tins.
Have your child dip the curled-up end of the noisemaker into the paint.
Show your child how to aim the noisemaker at the paper and have her blow. The goal is to have the painted tip of the noisemaker strike the paper and leave a mark.
While the paint is still wet, your child can sprinkle some confetti onto her picture.
Pot Banger
The classic stereotype is true: Toddlers love to bang on pots and pans. New Year’s is the time to make a little noise anyhow, so why not have your child use a special pot-banging spoon?
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 30 minutes
Tempera paint
Pie tins
Paintbrushes
Wooden kitchen spoon
White craft glue
Glitter
Ribbon (optional)
Pour the paint into the pie tins. Let your child paint the spoon however she wishes.
When the spoon is completely dry, show her how to coat the spoon with glue and then add glitter.
If you wish, tie a ribbon around the handle.
Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air! Your toddler is just starting to learn about love and relationships. At this stage in his life, your toddler’s greatest love is probably you. But soon, his social world will be expanding. Talk about love and caring while you do these projects with him. Here is a great chance to reinforce recognition of the colors pink and red, too.
Heart Prints
This activity will help your child develop fine motor skills. You may also want to use this as an opportunity to talk about color and shape identification. You don’t have to limit your child to a simple sheet of paper. Perhaps she can print hearts onto a card or calendar.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
Red and pink tempera paint
Pie tins
Scissors
Kitchen sponges
Clothespins
White construction paper or bond paper
Pour the paint into the pie tins.
Cut out heart shapes from the sponges. You can make other shapes too. Be sure that the sponge shapes are at least as large as a silver dollar.
Attach a clothespin to the back of the sponge. This will serve as a handle for your child.
Show your child how to dip the sponge hearts into the paint and then press them onto the paper to create a design.
Kisses
This activity will be particularly enticing if you have a child who likes to put on mommy’s makeup.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 30–40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
Lipstick in a variety of colors
White construction or bond paper
Facial tissue
Help your child apply the lipstick.
Show your child how to kiss the paper to make lip prints. If you use more than one color of lipstick, help your child use the tissue to remove the preceding color.
Valentine’s Card
Here is a cute idea for your child to create a truly personalized Valentine’s Day card.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 10 minutes
1 sheet of white or pink construction paper
1 marker
Red tempera paint
Shallow pie tin
Fold the paper in half to create a card. On the front, write “Thumbody Loves You!”
Pour a small amount of the paint into the pie tin. Help your child to dip her thumb into the paint.
Open the card and show your child how to press her thumb onto the paper to create prints. Let her make as many thumbprints as she wishes to decorate the card.
St. Patrick’s Day
It is said that anyone can be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Focus on the color green and share some of the legends and lore of this holiday with your child.
Living Shamrock
This is a fun gardening activity, but it takes patience to see the result.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
Scissors
Kitchen sponge
Water
Shallow pie tin
Grass seeds
Cut the sponge into a shamrock shape.
Fill the pie tin with enough water to cover the bottom. Place the sponge in the water.
Help your child sprinkle the grass seeds onto the wet sponge.
Place the pie tin with the sponge in a sunny place. Keep the sponge moist while the grass is sprouting.
Rainbow’s End
This cute craft makes a pretty centerpiece for a holiday party.
Add some gold-foil chocolate coins for extra excitement.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 30–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
Scissors
Toilet paper tube
Black felt-tip marker
Paper plate
Crayons or colored markers
White craft glue
Gold sequins
Cut the toilet paper tube in half crosswise. Discard one half.
Have your child color the half tube black to make the pot.
Cut the paper plate in half. Discard one half.
Cut off the rim of the plate to create an arch shape. You may need to trim the width so that one end will fit into the “pot.”
Encourage your child to color the arch with rainbow colors.
Let your child glue some gold sequins to the rim of the little black pot.
Balance the rainbow arch by inserting one end of it into the pot opening.
Pot-of-Gold Hunt
You will be promoting your child’s problem-solving skills while he plays this fun game.
If you wish, you can substitute a real treat basket for the paper pot of gold; just be sure
to decorate it with plenty of cut-out gold coins!
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 30–40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
Scissors
Colored construction paper
Masking tape
Cut the following shapes out of construction paper: 20 tiny green feet, 1 brown kettle, 10 small yellow circles, and an arch shape with different colors to form a rainbow.
Tape the yellow circles in the kettle shape to create the pot of gold.
Find a location to “hide” the pot of gold. Place it or tape it anywhere you wish.
Tape the green feet a few feet apart to form a path for your child to follow. Let them wind up the wall or under furniture to finally lead to the pot of gold.
Tell your child about how it is believed that a leprechaun can lead you to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Show him the footprints, and encourage him to follow them to the treasure.
Passover and Purim
Both of these holidays occur in the spring and they both celebrate the Jewish people’s freedom from oppression. These activities will help you introduce the history of Judaism and its
culture to your toddler.
Matzo Ball Soup
This is a fun and tasty way to share a traditional holiday treat with your child.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 45 minutes
½ cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons oil
8 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
1 small can carrots
Mix the matzo meal with the salt.
Add the eggs and the oil. Help your child slowly stir in the tablespoon of water. The batter should be thick and pasty.
Chill the batter for 10–15 minutes. While the batter is chilling, boil the water and add the bouillon cubes. Once the cubes have dissolved, drain the can of carrots and add them to the soup.
Remove the matzo batter from the refrigerator. Show your child how to roll the mixture into golf ball-size balls. If the mixture is too sticky, try wetting your child’s hands first.
Carefully drop the matzo balls into the boiling soup. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
Purim Gragger
Purim graggers are the noisemakers that children shake when the name of Haman
is mentioned during the reading of the Meglliah. Be mindful that the loose beans
could be a choking hazard; supervise the use of this toy carefully.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
White craft glue
Scraps of paper and ribbon
2 paper cups
¼ cup dried beans
Masking tape
Let your child glue paper and ribbon to the outside of the cups for decoration.
When the glue is dry, help her pour the beans into one of the cups.
Invert the second cup over the first and tape together.
Earth Day
It is not too early to start teaching your child to respect the earth and the environment. These simple activities are a great way to start.
Recycled Critters
There is no end to materials that you can use for this project.
Ask your friends and family to save things that you could use.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 30–40 months
Duration of activity: 20 minutes
A variety of recycled containers and objects such as: margarine tubs, toilet paper tubes, tissue boxes, lids, oatmeal canisters, buttons, soda bottles and fabric scraps
Glue or tape
Colored construction paper
Markers or crayons
Rinse out any containers, remove labels and check for sharp or loose parts.
Have your toddler glue or tape items together to create a creature.
Provide paper and markers or crayons for them to decorate.
Be sure to ask your toddler about what he made. Where does it live? What does it eat? Does it have a name?
Litter Grab
Older toddlers may enjoy joining in a community effort to pick up litter on earth day.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
Salad tongs or wire gripper
Plastic or paper bag
Select a site for your child to pick up litter. You may need to go in advance to remove glass, cigarette butts, or any other hazardous materials.
Show your child how to use the tongs to pick up litter and place into the bag.
Trash Sort
You will need to check for sharp edges and rinse out containers before starting this activity.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 24–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
Cleaned out plastic and glass containers and newspaper
Recycling bins
Demonstrate for your child how to sort the materials into glass, plastic and paper bins.
Easter
There are many symbols and traditions associated with this holiday. Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny may be the two most familiar to young children. Here are some simple activities that your toddler is sure to enjoy.
Footprint Bunny
Both you and your child will delight in this cute holiday craft. Don’t worry if the end result does not look perfect—your child’s creativity is more important than the finished result.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 30–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
White and pink construction paper
Pencil
Scissors
Cotton ball
6 (3) lengths of dark-colored yarn
Crayons
Have your child stand on a piece of white construction paper in stocking feet. Trace the outline of her foot.
Cut out the foot shape. Cut out two long ears from the pink paper.
Show your child how to make a bunny: glue the ears onto the heel end of the cut-out foot and the cotton ball to the toe end.
Let your child decorate her bunny with the yarn and crayons.
Easter Egg Dye
You do not have to rely on a store-bought kit to dye Easter eggs. Here are some creative ideas for you to try.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
Eggs
Coffee cups
½ cup of boiling water
1 teaspoon of vinegar
½ teaspoon of food coloring
Make your own egg dye. In a coffee cup, combine ½ cup of boiling water, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of food coloring. Repeat this process for each color.
You can also make natural dyes. Natural dyes require the eggs to soak for much longer times, sometimes as long as overnight. Remember the longer the egg is in the dye, the darker the color will be. Some materials to try include onion skins, beet juice, and tea leaves.
Fourth of July
Your toddler is too young to understand the history behind this holiday. Keep it simple, and explain that you are celebrating the country’s birthday. Your child will love being a part of the festivities.
Fireworks Painting
Your child will be practicing fine motor skills as he makes this colorful picture.
If you are worried that he will suck paint through the straw, take a pin and poke a
few small holes about ½” from the top of the straw.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 30–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
Spoon
Tempera paint, slightly thinned
White construction or bond paper
Straw
Let your child use the spoon to place small blobs of different colors of paint on the paper.
Show your child how to use the straw to blow the paint around on the paper, staying fairly close to the paper without allowing the straw to touch it. Let him experiment. What happens when he holds the straw straight up, and what happens when he tilts the straw?
Handmade Flag
Let your child express his patriotism with this personalized version of the American flag.
You can adapt this craft for any flag with stars.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
White craft glue
3 sheets white construction paper
1 sheet blue construction paper
Scissors
2 sheets red construction paper
White tempera paint
Shallow pie tin
Glue the white and blue papers side by side to form a large square, with the blue square in the top left corner.
Cu
t (or help your child cut) the red paper into ten strips. Glue six of the strips together end to end to create three long stripes. Glue the red stripes to the white part of the square, with the longer stripes at the bottom.
Pour some white paint into the pie tin. Help your child dip his hands in the paint, and then press his hands on the blue square to make stars. (Don’t try for all fifty; instead, you’re just going for the effect.)
Thanksgiving
The history of this holiday is more than your child can understand. Discussions about Pilgrims and Native Americans are not relevant to your child’s experience of the world around her. The turkey, on the other hand, is a concrete symbol of the Thanksgiving meal. You may also choose to have a discussion about abundance and thankfulness during this holiday.
Turkey Trap
Engage your child’s imagination with this activity. This may become a family tradition for years to come.
Activity for an individual child
Age group: 18–40 months
Duration of activity: 15 minutes
1 cardboard box
1 sturdy stick
A few kernels of corn
Feathers
Candy corn
Tell your child that you are going to trap a turkey for Thanksgiving.
Set the cardboard box upside down and prop up one end with the stick. Show your child how the turkey will knock the stick over to make the box fall. Place some corn under the box to serve as bait.