Babies undergo a continuous process of development and their interests are ever-changing. Doing arts and crafts has multiple benefits. Although it requires continuous supervision, but it is all worth it!
There are multiple arts and crafts that your baby can indulge in. The aim is to help them create something new and develop their skills and creative thinking while they are at it.
Read on as we list some easy baby craft ideas that you could indulge your little munchkin in.
Benefits Of Art And Craft For Babies
The initial years of a child are crucial for determining their health, mental growth, learning, and success in life (1). Art and craft help develop babies’ (2)
- Sensory skills
- Hand and eye coordination
- Cognition
- Creative thinking
- Overall brain
- Motor skills
- Balance
- Body control and coordination
All these allow the babies to explore the world around them.
Tips For Introducing Art and Craft To Your Baby
One has to be careful while choosing age-appropriate craft activities and craft material as babies tend to put everything in their mouth.
- Use skin-friendly material and colors.
- Use eco-friendly and edible craft material.
- Try easy simple craft activities.
- Avoid art that involves cutting and use of sharp objects.
- Monitor the baby continuously.
- Help the baby by participating in the activity.
20 Easy Baby Craft Ideas And Activities
Have a look at this curated list of quick and easy baby craft ideas and keep your baby active.
1. Edible playdough
Try edible dough with added food colors. It could be a mixture of rice, cereal, corn starch, apple sauce, vegetable oil, and food colors. Teaching a baby to make different shapes with this dough is fun. Animals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, utensils, clothes, transport vehicles, or anything else could be molded out of this edible dough.
2. Playing with rice
Rice grains are tough to hold as they slip off. Playing with rice enhances gripping and holding techniques of the baby. Hide the baby’s favorite snacks or toys under a heap of rice. Let them explore and find things for themselves and experience overwhelming joy.
3. Ice painting
To get colorful ice cubes, drop a single drop of edible colors in each compartment of the ice tray. Insert a craft stick into each compartment of the ice tray and set it to freeze. Once frozen, these colorful ice cubes with craft sticks can be given to the baby to paint on cards or hard sheets
4. Bubble wrap painting
Place a piece of bubble wrap on the ground with the bubbles facing up. The baby can apply colors on to the bubble wrap. A piece of paper can be given to be pressed by the baby onto this painted wrap. When taken off, the paper is imprinted with colorful bubble patterns. Introducing colors to the baby is easy with bubble wrap painting. Popping the bubbles in the wrap also works as an exercise to strengthen the fingers.
5. Spaghetti sensory play
For this, regular spaghetti is cooked and tossed with oil. Food colors are added and spaghetti is dried by laying on a parchment paper. It is a great sensory experience for the babies. The spaghetti feels slimy and slips through the babies’ fingers easily, making them enjoy this activity.
6. Sensory bead bags
This is a great mess-free sensory play activity to develop babies’ language skills. Sensory bead bags are also effective for babies who suffer from Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) (3). The bead bags could be filled with beads of different textures, colors and even beads that produce sounds. When the beads bag is pressed by the baby, there can be many possibilities; as there are varieties of beads such as butterfly beads, Christmas ornaments, money beads, ocean creatures, plants, animals, and birds’ beads. Elderly supervision is a must as the baby may bite the bag, which can result in a choking hazard.
7. Stamped apple art
Cut an apple into two halves and let your baby dip one half in some edible color to create a stamp. Now, hold this stamp and make a colorful impression on a paper. You can create small or large shapes and patterns in the half portion to add more variety.
8. Colored rice art
Rice grains can be added to vinegar and organic food colors to obtain colored rice. Draw a simple sketch on a sheet using glue sticks. The baby can drop the colored grains onto this sketch. The grains stick to the glue, forming beautiful art. You could also let the baby scribble through the scattered grains using their fingers to encourage sensory play.
9. Ribbon clouds
Adults can help babies in this activity. Just cut out clouds on a cardboard. Get your child to either paint them or decorate these with cotton, glitter, or any other craft’s decor accessory. Now sew all these clouds together to complete the look.
10. Paper plate fruits
Draw sketches of various fruits on paper plates. Let the baby try painting these sketches according to the colors of the fruits. Another way is to get ready-made stickers of fruits, and let the baby stick them on the plates. This craft stimulates pictorial memory, as the baby relates to the names, colors, and shapes of fruits.
11. DIY scented rainbow bubbles
The sheer joy of having colorful scented bubbles is incomparable as babies love to play with bubbles. As a DIY activity, adults need to arrange for:
- Dish soap
- Glycerin
- Essential oils
- Food coloring
- Bottles or jars (with lids)
- A smooth stick with a loop at one end. (Avoid wire as it may hurt the baby)
- For various colors:
Cinnamon: Red
Sweet orange: Orange
Lemon: Yellow
Peppermint: Green
Vanilla: Blue
Lilac: Purple
Grapefruit: Pink
You have to prepare the scented colorful soapy liquids and pour in small pots for babies. Babies hold the blowing stick, dip it in one pot and blow bubbles. They can repeat this for all pots one by one. The result is rainbow bubbles all over. The baby learns about different scents and develops color recognition from this activity.
12. Felt princess crown
This craft should be performed by an adult in the presence of the baby. Even through the baby participates passively, they can learn a lot by watching. You would need:
- Colorful felt
- Glitter iron-on
- Cricut maker
- Iron or easy press
- Sewing machine or needle and thread
Cut out the princess crown using a cricut maker. Then fuse the glitter iron-on to the crown using an easy press or an iron. Using a sewing machine, a thread, and needle, attach the extended straps to the end of the crown. To tie the crown onto the head, elastic ribbon could be used.
13. Shaving cream clouds
Making the baby learn about the rain and the clouds is easy. It could be achieved using household stuff such as shaving cream which, can help in making clouds. Fill a clear cup/glass with water and add a layer of shaving cream to it. Several drops of blue food coloring can be added to this mix. When these shaving cream clouds get too heavy, the drops fall through as rain. Explain to the baby that when water droplets grow heavy in the sky, it rains
14. Thumbprint keychain
Take a piece of clay and embed the baby’s fingerprint or thumbprint on the surface of the clay. Take a keychain and secure the imprinted clay at the end of the keychain.
15. Confetti bookmarks
Babies can try making these bookmarks under adult supervision. Beautiful and colorful confetti bookmarks inserted in the story book enhances a baby’s experience of listening to stories, looking at pictures, and creating pictorial memories. This also lays the foundation for the habit of reading. You will need
- Clear sheet protectors (heavyweight ones make a sturdier material)
- Confetti
- A fuse tool or a sewing machine
- A hole punch maker
- Ribbon (for embellishment)
Fill the clear sheet protectors with colorful confetti and seal the edges by a fuse tool or sew it. Punch a hole and tie a colorful ribbon through it.
16. Homemade sidewalk chalk
Sidewalk chalk is typically a large and thick piece of chalk available in multiple colors. It is mostly used by children and adults for drawing on pavements or concrete sidewalks. Your baby may use the floor of the house for this activity. This art activity improves the child’s fine motor skills. You will need
- Plaster of Paris (dry powder)
- Tempera paint
- Silicon mold
- Water
- Disposable cups
- Plastic spoons
Mix POP, water, and paint. Pour the mixture into the molds and let it dry. The colorful sidewalk chalks are ready for use.
17. Baby created wall art
Provide your baby with paper and crayons, and let them scribble to their heart’s content. Mixing organic food colors in a cereal makes a safe paint for babies. Babies may dip their hands in this color and make impressions on paper. The paper can also be laid on the ground, and the baby may put their feet in the color and create footprints on the paper by walking on it.
18. Baby-safe marble painting
This simple craft idea is easy to create. Bring a cardboard box, paper, marbles, and some paints. Now tape the paper inside at the bottom of the box. Drop a few dollops of paint and marbles inside the box. Close the box and shake it well. This shaking is not only entertaining for the baby but may also help in strengthening their shoulder muscles.
19. Baby abstract art
Place some paint spots on a canvas and cover it with plastic. Let the baby spread colors with their hands and try to go after each paint spot. Help the baby spread the paint evenly and avoid random globs of paint. Remove the plastic after completing the activity and let the canvas dry. The baby may enjoy how colors blend and spread over the canvas.
20. Art with carpet square samples
You will need the following supplies for this craft.
- Organic food colors
- Medium-sized rubber bands
- Carpet square samples
- Painter’s tape
- Paper plates
- A long piece of butter paper
Tape the long piece of paper to a smooth and flat space. Next, tape the paper plates next to the butter paper. Pour a color of paint on each paper plate. To make it easier for the baby to hold the carpet squares, slid a rubber band over each carpet square. Push the rubber band into the carpet. Now, let the baby hold this carpet square sample and dip it in the plate with color. As the baby stamps this on the taped paper, a beautiful design emerges.
Doing art and craft activities can help you and your baby strengthen your bond. Babies also get acquainted with the surroundings and objects. These activities are not just fun but also improve their learning abilities. So, try them with your baby and have lots of fun.
References:
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Harshita is a graduate in commerce and holds a PG Diploma in Patent and Copyrights Law from NALSAR University. She has also pursued CA and has more than three years of internship experience in auditing. Her love for travelling has taken her to various parts of the world, and writing the travelogues was what brought out her love for content writing…. more
