I used to love rainy days. But today, after noticing the gathering storm clouds, I was not looking forward to spending the day curled in my chair reading a book. Those days are long gone. This brewing storm made me worried that another storm was coming: that of a bored toddler stuck inside on a rainy day. I determined today would be the perfect day to get some toddler crafting going on. So I called one of my best friends who has a daughter a few months younger than Fischer and convinced her to join in on our rainy-day fun (maintaining sanity on a rainy day often requires the company of another adult, I’ve found).
Crafting With Your Toddler
What I love most about toddler craft time is that things don’t always seem to go according to plan. There are plenty of Pinterest fails. But, honestly, that’s what makes it so fun. Allowing your toddler to get messy and have a sensory experience is probably the highlight of his week! Crafting with a friend makes the bloopers even more fun to laugh about later.
When our friends arrived, we spent a few minutes letting the kids work on “sharing” while we caught up on life. Then, we got to work preparing for our crafting day. We put the kiddos in diapers, covered the floor in plastic and paper bags (I ask for paper bags sometimes for this EXACT reason), and laid our materials out. We were ready.
1. Handprint Paper Ties
On this particular day, I wanted the kids to make paper ties for our husbands to “wear” proudly on Father’s Day. The kids sat down to get to work; as usual, not everything went as planned. What was meant to be a delicate series of handprints on the tie became a smeared mess! Instead of starting over, we said, “Well, it’s really just a representation of where my kid is at this point!” While the ties may not have been the picture of perfection we saw on a Pinterest board, it was unique and fun, and that’s darn well enough.
Both kids ended up with paint all over themselves. So we decided to make the best of the warm, rainy afternoon and wash them off on the porch with an old watering can! The kids had a blast getting “sprinkled!” If only pictures could capture squeals.
2. Handprint Baseball
One of my favorite toddler crafts we tried was a little handprint on a baseball. Fischer’s face LIT UP when he saw the baseball since he LOVES throwing anything around (I think the kid was born to pitch a baseball). Getting the most perfect little handprint was much easier than I thought. I just know this craft will get more than the obligatory excitement from Daddy.
3.Handprint Photo Canvas
This was also an easy and adorable handprint craft. We found picture frame canvases at the local craft store. The kids had a blast covering the canvases with colorful handprints. After they dried, we put a photo of the respective kiddo in the frame. They turned out so cute!
While I may have started the rainy day with some anxiety and apprehension, our impromptu craft day turned out way better than I could have imagined. Sure, the house looked like a pair of spunky toddlers (a tornado) had been through it, but we made some awesome memories, and the kids had a blast. Bonus: Fischer took a three-hour nap afterward!
