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When painting, and all the cleaning up that comes with it, seems like a daunting task, here are some quick go-to's that have a less messy footprint:
Straw and pipecleaner bracelets. Cut some paper straws into ½ inch “beads” and thread them through colorful, furry pipe cleaners. Yarn works too, but often chubby little toddler fingers have a hard time threading. Twist the ends when done and marvel at your fabulous arm party!
Watercolor chalk. Dip chalk in water and draw on some dark construction pages. The chalks’ colors look almost florescent and get even brighter as they dry. This is fun outside too.
Magazine collages. Have your little one browse through your magazines and tear (or cut if they are ready for little safety scissors) out their favorite images and paste (or tape) onto some blank pages. Having them sort through for themes or seasonal ideas or even as answers to questions you create can be a great way for their mind to stay focused.
Cityscapes. Cut up some empty cereal boxes to create and draw a city backdrop. Color (or paste images from magazines) to give your city life. Set your city limits and add in some cars and other 3D elements from their toy box.
Photo shoot. Find one of your old point and shoot digital cameras (or even an old cell phone) and send them around the house to take pictures. Have them set up scenes with their toys and plush animals. Bonus if your camera has video capabilities! Upload their images and enjoy all their creativity together.