12 Arts and Crafts Projects for Toddlers

By
Megan Graney
Megan Graney
Megan Graney
Megan Graney is a crafting expert, art teacher, and writer who shares her knowledge of DIY painting, furniture refinishing, and sewing. She has almost a decade of hands-on experience and has been writing about crafts for five years. 
Learn more about The Spruce Crafts' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/06/24
Toddler painting
Credit: Adam Hester / Getty Images

From squirt gun painting to sticker lettering, these well-planned crafts are perfect for 3- and 4-year-olds and can increase your toddler's attention span and spur creativity. Younger and older kids may enjoy them too—use your judgment to find an age-appropriate activity from our list. These crafts are fun and they offer a chance to bond with your little one on a rainy day or any afternoon.

  • 01 of 12

    DIY Binoculars

    diy binoculars
    Credit: Art Bar

    Take your toddlers out for a day of bird sighting with their homemade binoculars! This easy tutorial gives great ideas for decorating TP rolls, and then attaching two with yarn to form the special, individualized specs.

    DIY Binoculars from Art Bar

  • 02 of 12

    Egg Carton Crabs

    egg carton crab craft for kids
    Credit:

    Megan Graney

    Upcycle empty egg cartons into cute crawling critters with this easy project. Kids paint the egg cups, transforming them into shells, then twist a pipe cleaner into the cute little crab claws. Grown-ups need to lend a hand to hot glue things together on this one.

    Egg Carton Crabs from The Spruce Crafts

  • 03 of 12

    Firework Stamps

    fireworks stamps
    Credit: Happiness is Homemade

    Stamp painting is perfect for little hands, and creating this firework stamp from a recycled cardboard tube is quick and easy. Kids will spend hours painting fireworks (or starbursts or sunflowers or puffy clouds!). Low on paint? Make your own using mostly on-hand ingredients.

    Firework Stamps from Happiness is Homemade

  • 04 of 12

    Letter of the Week

    Letter of the Week
    Credit: Crystal and Co.

    Get a jump start on phonics for little ones with a fun weekly letter craft. Parents cut construction paper letters, then little ones can decorate to capture the spirit of an alliterated word. This handy tutorial provides free printables for less artistically-inclined grown-ups.

    Letter of the Week from Crystal and Co.

    Continue to 5 of 12 below
  • 05 of 12

    Liquid Sidewalk Chalk

    liquid chalk
    Credit: Growing a Jeweled Rose

    Most preschoolers will jump at the chance to squirt liquids from plastic bottles–why not let them create beautiful temporary artwork while they're at it? Mix up a big batch of liquid chalk (cornstarch, vinegar, water, baking soda, and food coloring), then send kiddos out to the driveway to create.

    Liquid Sidewalk Chalk from Growing a Jeweled Rose

  • 06 of 12

    Magic Milk Paint

    magic milk paint
    Credit: Modern Parents Messy Kids

    Toddlers get a bit of chemistry with their art in this activity–a little whole milk, food coloring, and a dish soap-dipped toothpick provide a play surface that will keep little ones entertained for hours. Kids also get firsthand experience at color mixing with this one!

    Magic Milk Paint from Modern Parents Messy Kids

  • 07 of 12

    Natural Sun Catchers

    natural suncatchers
    Credit: Hands On As We Grow

    Kiddos forage for the decorations for these sun catchers, then assemble them using clear contact paper and paper plates. Wildflowers and grasses stick to the contact paper like magic for kids, and with no messy cleanup, this medium may feel like magic for grown-ups too.

    Natural Sun Catchers from Hands On As We Grow

  • 08 of 12

    Painted Pasta Necklace

    painted pasta necklace
    Credit: Picklebums

    Rigatoni gets the Monet treatment with this tactile craft. Toddlers can channel their inner designers to create watercolor pasta jewelry that's as much fun to create as it is to wear.

    Painted Pasta Necklace from Picklebums

    Continue to 9 of 12 below
  • 09 of 12

    Paper Plate Animals

    paper plate animals
    Credit: I Heart Crafty Things

    Preschoolers can finger paint paper plates, and then add construction paper faces and limbs to create their own petting zoos. Paper plates provide the perfect canvas for kids–they're sturdy enough for paint and glue, and double as a convenient paint palette.

    Paper Plate Animals from I Heart Crafty Things

  • 10 of 12

    Squirt Gun Painting

    squirt gun painting
    Credit:

    Fireflies and Mud Pies

    You'll need to wait for warmer months for this activity–it causes an outdoors-only kind of mess. Fill squirt guns with liquid watercolor paint, then let preschoolers go to town on sheets of construction paper clipped to a canvas or tacked to a tree.

    Squirt Gun Painting from Fireflies and Mud Pies

  • 11 of 12

    Sticker Name Activity

    sticker name activity
    Credit: Busy Toddler

    Practice letters and fine motor skills with dot stickers and pre-written names. Preschoolers are bound to enjoy making a bit of personal art, and parents will love the mess-free, quiet concentration time this project requires.

    Sticker Name Activity from Busy Toddler

  • 12 of 12

    Straw Bead Necklace

    straw bead necklace
    Credit: Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

    Clip bright straws into segments to create inexpensive, recycled beads that toddlers can string onto yarn. Kids can practice color recognition and patterning with this easy and mess-free craft.

    Straw Bead Necklace from Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

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