Just wondering - what age did your little one start doing crafts and using crayons? Any tips to make sure the crayons are used for drawing and not eating?
Welcome to Ask An ECE, the only community on the Internet developed by & for Early Childhood Educators. We are dedicated to providing quality information and advice for parents of children from birth to High School, and resources for teachers.
Check out our Discussion Forums, or Ask our Experts your questions about child care.
Join us now, or log in below if you are already a member.
My guy still tries to eat them on occasion22 months, but it's more of a pushing the limits when he knows I'm really watching .
However, we started doing simple arts at 1 year (earlier at the drop in's we went)
Some ideas:
~ Crayola wonders (markers and special paper so the marker doesn't go all over)
~ Big floor size pieces of paper and either giant crayons or the homemade muffin tin crayons
~ Putting stickers on paper (try to find easy peel or you peel for him)
~ Finger painting (you can use washable non toxic paints with a drop of soap in it for easy clean up or use food such as pudding since it's edible)
~ Playdough
~ Sponge painting
All of these ideas I used with my son from about a year and continue to do so. Just remember supervision is key and get everything you need together first including clean up items! When they say they are done they are done right now!
Hope That helps...
Jen
We've been colouring since she could hold a crayon. It's one of our favourite past times. Mia loves gluing (with a paint brush) and painting. She's been doing actual crafts since 10 months old. Jen's ideas are great.
Valerie loves coloring and drawing. She's started around Mia's age (10 months). At first we bought her a doodle. It was her favorite toy for ever, til we got the easel lol. She loves painting, but I have to be honest, I didn't dare do painting at home yet lol but she does a lot of it at the babysitter, so I don't feel so bad. As for the eating part, it will come. I think valerie stopped at around 16 months. When I notice that she ate it, I would give her her pacifier. It worked for us. I also made sure that all the crayons were non-toxic and not from China too (as we've have all heard about the products coming from there lol).