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If you've never tried doing crafts with your toddler, it's hard to know where to start. Instead of tackling ambitious projects that can lead to frustration, consider laying the foundation with some easy activities that help develop coordination in younger children.
There's plenty of time for origami when your child is older; for now, let's work on the basics!
Cut: Toddlers need safety scissors! With a big marker, draw a thick, straight line and show your child how to cut along the guide. Move up to curved lines, and then try cutting out magazine pictures.
Move: Use a turkey baster or an eye dropper to move water drops from one cup to another. Or use tongs and cotton balls to fill a muffin tin or other cup.
Drizzle: drizzle a stream of glue on paper and the sprinkle with glitter, sand, flour or cereal.
Paint: Use a large paint brush and a bowl of water to "paint" the sidewalk or the side of your house.
String: Use yarn and a blunt craft needle to string pasta or cereal. Make sure the food you're stringing has generous-sized holes.
Erase: Get a dry-erase board and some colored markers and see what designs you can make!
Spoon: Fill several holes of a muffin pan with various small foods like rice, cereal and dried beans. Give your child a spoon and see what happens!
Shape: Use a length of yarn to create shapes on a pillow or the carpet. When you're just beginning with crafts, be sure to teach an important lesson: neatness. Have a designated craft area, such as a kitchen table, to keep messes where they belong. Store commonly used items in a plastic bin or even a tackle box.
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