I don't know why I choose to punish myself this way. I know that I am only creating work for myself. I know that the activity is only going to last 10 minutes (if I'm lucky). I know that by the end of the activity my toddler, the table, and probably the dog will be covered in paint. I know all these things, and yet I still persist in providing art activities that use paint for said toddler/s. I must really love toddler art. Today we did some "cookie cutter stamping".
In the event that you would like to recreate this experience with your own toddler, this is how said activity goes down:
First, you need to prepare the activity. This means waiting until the toddler has gone down for their nap, as trying to set up any activity while your toddler is underfoot is a recipe for disaster. Once toddler is asleep and you have enjoyed your first warm cup of coffee of the day, gather the necessary resources and set up the activity. I have a "no paint indoors" policy so that I don't need to worry about the floor. It is important to have everything you will need ready so as not to leave your toddler unattended or frustrated during the creative process. Remember to have a camera ready - you will appreciate the cute pictures after the frustration of cleaning everything your toddler touched has subsided. For "cookie cutter stamping" you need paper, a small container with a very shallow amount of paint and cookie cutters. I stamped two little people as an example.
If you are lucky enough to have a toddler like my second child, who is ready for action as soon as she wakes, your toddler should want to start stamping right away! If you have a toddler like my eldest, who enjoys a half-hour cry after every nap, well, hopefully this will seem exciting enough to distract them!
This is a simple enough activity to demonstrate - simply dip the cookie cutter into the paint and then press firmly onto the page and lift - voila, the print remains!
This little minx surprised me by working quite diligently for quite a number of "stamps". Every time she printed a person she would "name" it - starting with our close family and then even her grandparents and cousins were created! Every time she printed a star she insisted that I sing "Twinkle twinkle" with her chiming in on the "ar" sound at the end of the lines! Once the novelty started to fade she could be coaxed into doing a few more prints by me and her taking "turns" to stamp. However once she decided she was done that was it. I write my toddler's name and the date on her artwork and try to keep most of it in a folder for her to look through when she is older. My parents did this for me and I really enjoy looking through my work and even find that it helps me to remember certain events and times better.
This is when she started her usual sensory-seeking trick of putting the paint everywhere except where it is supposed to go. However she didn't eat any today so I believe she is making good progress! When I suggested that she stop painting herself and continue printing instead I got the evil eye!
Once your toddler has had enough comes the fun part - cleaning up! At this point I really regretted not having a bucket of soapy water prepared! You should learn from my mistake and always include cleaning aids in the list of "necessary resources"! It will save you the stress of wondering how many surfaces your toddler has touched while you are filling the bucket. Since I knew that she was really getting into the paint I brought a big enough bucket for her to be able to take a bath in it, which is another favorite sensory activity of most toddlers!
Today was a great success as far as I'm concerned - minimal paint stains, a pretty picture, and a happy toddler. What more could any mom ask for! Except the obvious, like peeing without an audience, but you know what I meant!
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