Arts and crafts for a 4 yr old?

Question

I have a 4 yr that loves arts and crafts. I usually only do drawing, coloring and glueing because I also have a 2 yr old son that likes to participate. I am looking for something new for Christmas. It will be for a 4 yr old but like I said, I am hoping for something that a 2 yr old can participate in.
Looking for any ideas. Thanks

I would like to clarify. I am looking for something for a Christmas Present.

Answer 1

Ready to spend some money? I have lots of ideas!

Get some used magazines and some good child-sized scissors (Your 2 year old can just use fingers to rip the paper. You children can make a collage (you can also have them make a collage of things that are red, things that are living, things that smell…). You can also make paper dolls or use a half-shape (heart, bat, bunny). Fold a piece of paper, trace the half-shape, and you child can cut it to make the whole shape.

Get some Dot-to Dots!

Pony beads are great for making necklaces and bracelets. You can use some pre-cut yarn with a piece of tape (or a needle with a large eye and threader) You can also use the yarn for your younger child to make Cheerio necklaces.

Find some empty fingernail polish botttles. Fill them with different colors of paint so you child can paint various sizes of paper. You can also get some different shaped sponges to paint using a large brush and press on paper.

Get some stamp pads and stampers! You can get them in very large sizes.

Here's an idea for your 4 year old and you 2 year old with lots of supervision: Get some type of plastic containers with a few different sections and fill it with colored macaroni, sequins, cut up fabric, beads, buttons... Do a little recycling and throw in some things that you would normally throw away (used bolts, the plastic pieces that hold bread together, cut up plastic lids, paperclips…). Cut up some different colored construction paper (about 5X7) and put that into the container along with some glue. You child can have hours of fun gluing!

Preschoolers love this! http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductCat~~p%7C2534374302060553~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByCategory/artscrafts.jsp

For Christmas, you can get a big caboodle and put some of these things inside to give them.

Here are two of my favorite online stores for buying arts and crafts. Many of the things I mentioned can be found at these sites. Check them out for some more ideas (and some great prices)!
http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/home/home.jsp?emailcode=null
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Default.aspx
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.ht... (Lots of printable pages for coloring).

Have fun!

Answer 2

you can make xmas bells with the kids and it is great for all ages too.
Take a large cracker and put some riyal frosting on it then stack three oreos one top putting royal frostening again inbetween each cookie and then top it off with nilla wafers and on the very top place a lifesaver on the top and use royal frostening to hold it on. Once thay dry over night thread ribbon through the lifesaver hole and hang them on the tree.
Another fun craft is to make some dough with equal parts cinnamon ground with apple sauce roll out the dough and cut with cookie cuts. Make sure the dough is no thicker then `/4 inch thick. Have the kids cut them out with cookie cutters and poke a hole on the top. Bake in the oven at 250'f for one hour to dry them. then hang,
Also you can make reg suger cookies use two sizes of cookie cutters to make then just a outline frame. crush some jolly racher candies up and have the kids put the candy in the middle and nowbake them according to your recipe when they come out you have stain glass cookies magically.
And if all else fails find a copy of Kid's Creations book By Carol Sabbeth they are amazing and have so many craft ideas in there for all ages.
Also take a trip to your local craft store and check out all the new foam items that are out there the cook things with this stuff is you do not have to use glue just get some of those glue dots instead when the kids put them in place the will attect the peices together with out the mess.Good luck

Answer 3

Make cookies! I know that it is not quite arts and crafts, but you can bake the sugar cookies, and then lay out all different types of colored sugar, different colored frostings, and let the kids decorate their own cookies or cupcakes.

For the more crafty side, have you tried those little craft popcycle sticks and some fabric to make ornaments for the tree? By the way, I think it kicks butt that you are taking the time for A&C with your kids...too many parents are just too busy now adays. Good for you!

Answer 4

Go to the library with your sons.
While they are enjoying the books they want to look at... Ask for help to look for books on arts and crafts....specially play dough,
Get a recipe for play dough that has alum in it. I think the best present the children can give would be their hand prints.
Possibly side by side,(or seperate) names on the bottom of each hand, and date and don't forget the hole where it could hang from.
I would use a pretty red ribbon.
The other thing is collecting pine cones. painting them one color or christmas colors including gold or you spray them gold and they use sparkles to decorate and use red ribbon, green, gold to put them up. You can also put them in a glass bowl all together for a table decoration.
Get clear 'ball decorations', using red, gold,green, yellow,silver sparkles...to decorate them...you can use glue to decorate designs, names,and put the sparkles on it...just let them enjoy the projects because there is no right way to decorate....just 'their way', just make sure you are in a place it is easy to clean, a place you don't care if it gets stains.
Once you go to the library and check out the books....you will find tons of ideas that you would like to try........
Get yourself set up ahead of time, do not wait to do it with the children to set up.
If you do the hand project, make sure you plan on another project that will take a bit longer to do and explain to them that it has to dry ......always keep talking to them of what is going on.
Making cookies, sugar cookies are great, you can buy pre-made dough. Frost them & Decorate them. Have lots of different things to decorate the cookies with. Using a small cooking oven sometimes is just enough for children. A half dozen cookies should be good to keep them busy and plan it when they would be having a small snack time...

Answer 5

Make snowflakes to decorate the Christmas tree? Have the 4 yr old do the patterns and the 2 yr old can help decorate the snowflakes with glitter.

Answer 6

I took my kiddos to a b-day party(for a 5 year old) a couple weeks ago, and one of the crafts was painting birdhouses. My friend had bought a bunch of the Squeeze-n-Brush paintbrushes to use, instead of all the kids trying to use actual paints, seperate brushes, and the rinse water that goes along with them. :-D It was a HUGE hit with the kids, and they all continued to paint after the birdhouses were done; her husband just had to raid their printer paper stash. LOL I actually went ahead and got my son a couple of the different sets to put in his stocking. My oldest(the one I got the paint for) is 2 1/2.
http://www.elmers.com/kids/product_detail.asp?pCode=E1513

Answer 7

make papier mache ball ornaments. Fill the balloons to where they are around the size of large normal ball ornaments, layer them thickly with the papier mache xstuff (water, glue and newspaper) so they are sturdy, then after they have set, you can suff them with cotton balls to give them more support, to seal, You can finish the tops and dry them quickly (hair dryer) then let them paint and glitter and decortae to their hearts content, then hot glue (you only of course) ribbon to tie them up. I love making these and they last a few christmases if you care for them like you would glass ornaments.

Answer 8

Hi.. you can try the major craft stores for ideas...

or do a Yahoo search for christmas crafts for young children....

take care!

Answer 9

Finger painting is GREAT Fun! But use pudding instead of the finger paints...this way they can lick their fingers! :) (messy yes, but they will love it!)
Also, sewing cards, paint with water books (like coloring books only you use paint brushes & water...the colors are made into the paper...no messy paints to deal with)
and making pictures with torn up pieces of construction paper...make a picture then fill it in with the torn pieces of paper instead of coloring...very cute & more fun than coloring!

Answer 10

Finger painting - just be prepared to let them get all yucky!

Watercolors

Adjusted for your comment :

http://www.amazon.com/Sesame-Street-Finger-Paint-Brands/dp/B000II2AN4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1196320313&sr=1-2