It’s not always easy to find inexpensive, fun, creative, AGE-APPROPRIATE art activities for toddlers. Feedback from the older toddlers and preschoolers tells us that most get bored with “handprint” projects (like making a turkey out of the child’s handprint–great to try once, but not much creativity involved here, and kids are HUNGRY for creative pursuits!) SO!! Here is a great project for even the youngest of artists:
Cherry Blossom Art Using a Recycled Plastic Bottle:
- Start by using dark paint to paint a branch on poster board. Branches are easy to paint. If you can’t paint in a straight line, it looks even better.
- Once the branch is painted, let it dry before continuing with the stamping.
- Pour some paint (pink for cherry blossoms, but you can also let the kids go crazy with any paint colors you may have on hand!) on a paper plate and have the kids dip the bottom of the plastic bottle into the paint. The bottom of the bottle will have five “points” on it like a cherry blossom. For really little kids, best to use the smaller sizes of plastic beverage bottles, instead of the 2-liter size.
- Press the plastic bottle on the poster board, then lift up. Dip the bottle in more paint each time you repeat the stamp. This is really fun, add as many blossoms as you want!
