Having worked with older kids most of my life, I confess I am clueless when coming up with ideas to do with my 1 and 3 year olds. So I have been browsing the Internet and looking at books to find activities that don't cost much but are easy to do with little hands and small attention spans. Here is what I have found I like so far.
1 Browse the Internet. Type in "spring crafts," or whatever, and you will be bombarded with free Internet sites with craft ideas. Some websites are great and even label the crafts by age group and difficulty.
2. "At the Zoo: Explore the Animal World with Craft Fun" by Judy Press. I love this craft book. The crafts looks so easy and materials needed are simple like kleenex box, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, paper, etc. My 3 year old who isn't into crafts as much as I am helped me easily with making the snake. I think this book is great for toddlers into early elementary.
3. "Look What You Can Make From Paper Plates" by Margie Richmond. Paper plates, toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, and paint make these crafts easy. Can't wait to make the dinosaur project with my eldest. I think this book is great for toddlers into early elementary.
4. "The Encyclopedia of Infant and Toddler Activities" by Kathy Charner. I like this book because it has activities and crafts organized by age and activity like fine motor, gross motor, etc. There are so many good ideas and you may have done some of them on your own without every opening the book. However, they have a variety of ideas that have helped me since I am not skilled with coming up with these types of activities on my own.
5. "Making Toys for Infants and Toddlers" by Linda Miller. Homemade and easy, these are crafts any little one can do. Some of the toys are great and others are not my cup of tea, but I think the ideas are great if you want simple, easy, and cheap. Example supplies are toilet paper rolls, stockings, cardboard, paper, pictures and the like.
6. Luckily, some of these books were at my library so I was able to preview and try them out before getting them. I encourage you to utilize your library and check out these type of books on your own to see what fits your style.
