My son is a typical toddler boy. He can’t sit still and he needs to be busy all of the time! Needless to say it has been a challenge keeping him occupied and not getting himself into trouble on those long days when daddy is working 12 hours. I’ve gotten a few crafts and ideas under my belt in the last week, and I thought I would share.
Pudding Paint
If there is one thing that all toddlers love to do, it’s make a mess. This makes a great activity for morning or afternoon snack time. Mix up a package of pudding (we like chocolate 
) and get out paper or posterboard. It’s easier than making finger paint and you don’t have to worry about them eating it. In fact, I encourage eating of the paint! This can be a fairly easy cleanup with an old vinyl table cloth thrown over the table. It can be rolled up with all of the pudding and wiped down outside or sprayed off.
Mailbox: Cut a mail slot into a large cardboard box and give your toddler all your old junk mail.
Cereal Bracelets – All you need is old yarn/shoe laces and colorful cereal (fruit loops, apple jacks, etc). Again, these are edible and make a great snack time craft!
Help me Cook/Messy Trays
Encourage your little cook to help you in the kitchen. Seat them at the table with several assorted bowls, cups, and measuring spoons. Fill each bowl with various “ingredients” including colorful pasta, dried beans, rice, (if you don’t mind getting the vacuum out afterward), cereal, etc. My son would sit for hours and scoop up ingredients, moving them from bowl to bowl. This is a great activity to keep little ones busy while you cook supper. Tell them that you need their help to make dinner.
Make a Cardboard playhouse
If you are feeling ambitious, gather the tape, scissors, glue, and a couple of big cardboard boxes (you can contact your local grocery store/warehouse store to arrange pickup of a few large boxes), and make a cardboard playhouse. Cut out a door and a couple of windows. Have your toddler help you color it and decorate it with stickers and cutouts.
I like you post. Neat idea bout the mail box. My toddler like to put penny’s in a piggy bank and I bet he would like the mail box, too. Just tonight I pulled out the beans and bowls but I like the idea of several child friendly ingredients to explore. Great ideas!