Earlier this week, I organized my craft closet. BORING.
Then the panic set in when I uncovered the pile of summer craft materials I had stored away for a sunny day sometime last spring. Ain’t NO way I’m letting those sit in there for another whole year. I have this futile game I play daily where I tell myself I need to ‘use up’ all of my craft supplies (the closet has spilled out all over the house at this point) and then I go hoard more things I find at the dollar store.
So, this week we crossed them off the list and got it done! If you are looking for quick and easy craft ideas for toddlers to bid farewell to summer, here are the ones tested along with my honest review.
1) Nature Confetti Collage
Review: I found tons of examples of this activity on Pinterest, so if you have older kids there’s definitely more complicated versions you can try. I brought my kids (3yo and 1yo) outside and drew some outlines of different pictures on the construction paper. Then my girls wandered around our yard collecting leaves and other garden things to glue in the shape.
Honestly, I found this one to be okay but not exceedingly fun or engaging. Was it worth doing? Yes. It was interesting gluing things that were natural and was a fun way to get the kids outside and moving. My 1yo didn’t spend much time doing it at all and my 3yo whipped through the papers as fast as I could draw.
Materials:
- Paper
- Glue or tape
- Marker
Stats:
| Ages | 18m+ |
| Cost | splurge – lil treat – free(ish) |
| Set-Up & Clean-Up | supermom – funmom – lazymom |
| Time Spent | 10 mins |
| Overall | B– |
Verdict: Worth it if you want a 10-minute outdoor craft, but not a long-lasting activity.
2) Sun Stamp Printing
Review: I freaking love this stuff! I found a pack of paper from my dollar store last spring and was so excited to use it… so excited I forgot to use it. I used to make art with it in summer camp so I was thrilled to find it for so cheap. So, when I found it in my pile of summer chaos, I ran straight outside with my kids to make shadow art!
I asked my 3yo to go grab a bunch of random items and toys. TIP: I gave her a small container to fill so she didn’t go overboard (asking a toddler to “go grab toys” is like unleashing a tidal wave). Then we set the papers outside and quickly placed the items on top. Then we went inside and waiting 15 minutes or so until they were ready. Then you have to rinse them in cold water to make the shadows really appear. My 1yo LOVED doing that part.
They turned out SO WELL. The only ones that were more faded were the ones that I left on a part of the lawn that got swallowed up by the shadow of our tree, thus blocking all sun. So make sure you put them nowhere near a shadow, because apparently the shade moves faster than I thought. We hung them up for display for awhile, and then I put them away to be used in a future craft (they would make REALLY cool collage paper).
Materials:
- Sun Print Paper
- Toys and random items
Stats:
| Ages | 18m+ |
| Cost | splurge – lil treat – free(ish) |
| Set-Up & Clean-Up | supermom – funmom – lazymom |
| Time Spent | 30 mins |
| Overall | A |
Verdict: Huge hit! I would do this every week if I could! I’d even do it on my own hehe.
3) Counting Cookies Worksheet
Review: This worksheet is quite fun. I used it as a quick review of counting for my 3yo before her next pre-school year. I’ve seen a few different versions of this, but I called it ‘cookie counting’. I drew out a bunch of circles with dots in them (AKA chocolate chips). I made a quick legend with each number having a different color associated with it. Then she colored each circle accordingly. She asked to do this one again and again. The only downdside was drawing each page out before she could start.
Materials:
- Paper
- Markers
Stats:
| Ages | 2.5+ |
| Cost | splurge – lil treat – free(ish) |
| Set-Up & Clean-Up | supermom – funmom – lazymom |
| Time Spent | 10 mins |
| Overall | B |
Verdict: A solid educational activity to review counting and numbers without too much thought or materials needed.
Cozy Find:
Classical music has been our jam this week, and I played “Mars” by Gustav Holst for my girls while they were having afternoon snack. These kids were SUCKED IN. It’s pretty intense and a great piece. Boys would really love this one as it sounds like a battle song! I’d recommend having them just sit on the couch and listen without any distractions… it WILL keep their attention.
Next Library Trip:
Stillwater and Koo Save the World by Jon J Muth
This book is so cute and a great length for a bedtime story. My 3yo has read it every night for about 3 weeks now. Both of my girls love the show as well and the book has a really nice message to it. The illustrations are beautiful and the tone is calm. Everything you’d expect if you love the show.
I hope this helps you find some direction for your week! If you try any of these, let me know how it goes—I’d love to hear if your kids loved (or ditched) them. Until next week, stay cozy!
Warmly,
Ellen