What do you need for art and craft activities with very young children?
Painting
Paints:
Most children love painting. Very young children love the feeling of it, so it is often a sensory activity.
Ready mix poster paints are easy to prepare and mix. They give bright results and are very versatile- great for printing hand prints etc. These paints are washable, and are wheat and gluten free, just in case there are children with allergies.
Paint blocks are very economical, you just wet a paint brush and start painting. These are not as good for mixing colours or doing printing. Great for a quick picture, and they are less messy.
Painting accessories:
Brushes- the thicker, the easier to use. I like these easy grip brushes because they are rounded a the end. Paint drying racks are great for baby groups and nurseries. At our group we have a clothes line, but it’s not great- paint drips off and sometimes they get leaned on. Long sleeved aprons are a must, but I do find that these are a little big for the younger ones. I use these waterproof feeding bibs for the babies.
Printing:
Rollers and stamps can be used by even the very young. You can buy them, but you can also make potato stamps and vegetable prints. Hand prints are great fun too.
Collage
Glue sticks are less messy, but work out more expensive and aren’t as effective. PVA and glue spreaders are best really. Then you needs bits to stick on!
Display
The children love to see their work on display- also something to do with all the art work that’s left behind!
Tip- if using a staple gun, try using it at a slight angle. That way, the staples are much easier to take out when taking the display down.