cottonmama Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I feel awful for Savannah. Today she was complaining that she never gets to do art, and she's right. I've stopped letting her get out the play-do, watercolors, finger paints, colored pens... anything but the old broken crayons or colored pencils. The markers have been sucked dry, otherwise I would probably be restricting them, too. Because her 16mo sister eats ANYTHING with pigment. Rainbow diapers are the norm around here, lol. And I am not okay with the kind of mess the toddler would make with the other art projects. The only time my 5yo gets to paint is when dh paints with her and her brother while I'm watching baby sister. If you have little ones and still manage to get out the art supplies... how do you protect it from your adorable little troublemaker? ;) We don't have the luxury of naps during the day anymore. I know that this is just a phase, and I can accept that, but I have a hard time telling my "future sculptor" that she has to wait till she's older to enjoy her passion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I just had this discussion with my hubby. I can only do art in the evening when he's home. It makes me both sad and frustrated. But I know that this is a short season and that we will be able to do more art in a year or two. For right now, doing art in the evenings a couple of times a week is the best I can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebbyribs Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 We do art while the toddler is sleeping or in a room he doesn't have access to (harder now that he can reach doorknobs and open doors). When the weather is nice, we sometimes all do messy art outside. Maybe your daughter might like to try sculpting with pipe cleaners? You could make "Art Time" a thing to look forward to every weekend for your big kids, while either you or your partner takes the toddler out on a walk. There might be somewhere in your area that offers drop-off art classes that your 5-yo could take. (My bigger kids took a clay class last fall at ages 4 and 6.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemongoose Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Yep! We have this problem for art and science labs. I have thrown up my hands and given up on the idea of either happening during the week. We reserve these times for the weekend when DH and i can tag team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Occasionally Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Can you put the littler one in a high chair with a tray and let her mess around with things like applesauce or edible play dough while Big Sister gets to do her art? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 High chair, naps... I'm not even beyond covering the entire table in freezer paper and letting the toddler make a mess too. The freezer paper had a plastic backing so nothing seeps through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 We've been in pretty much the same boat. I realized recently I've not been giving my 5 yo art or craft activities because of my 1 yo totally destroying everything or making a mess or eating paint. We do have a nap to work with, but that's our only school time too, so usually by the time I get us settled into school and we do a few basics, toddler wakes up. I fell badly about it because we haven't been doing science either. Science and art are her favorite subjects. I'm about to throw in the towel on the "basics" and do only art and science. She's only 5 once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 My only solution has been art at the park or outsourcing. I feel your pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I agree that a high chair and some edible play dough for the little one is in order. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Pinterest has tons of edible paint and play doh recipes. I'd choose a few, strap the 1 yo in the high chair and let them have at it. When I did crafts with toddlers that little, I stripped them down to just a diaper. If you could gate off the room with the table and let the 5 yo do it by herself, would that work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 One thing I do is give the baby a cup of water, a paintbrush, and some paper and let him "paint". He starts off well, then moves on to sucking on the paintbrush and eventually drinking the cup of water, but it buys us some time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 One thing I do is give the baby a cup of water, a paintbrush, and some paper and let him "paint". He starts off well, then moves on to sucking on the paintbrush and eventually drinking the cup of water, but it buys us some time. :) DD4 "helped" DH paint her little sister's nursery when she was DD2.5. He gave her a little pail with water and let her do the wall he wasn't working on yet. We also let her start off the handprint collage on the wall we taut tapped over. ( We taut tap so they can have their nursery mural to keep for posterity.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 *We have an area in one of the playrooms with a closet where all of the art and craft supplies are kept. The table there is easily washable so and large enough that DH or I can interest DD1 in her own thing while DD4 and DFD5 work at the other end of the table. Right now DD1 enjoys books so I can pull her into my lap and she will be quite contained and content. *DD1 also still takes a nap so we sometimes take advantage of that time to do a project that requires more mom or dad direct hands on help. *When our oldest daughter is home she really enjoys doing art projects with her little sisters so they look forward to that as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strange_girl Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Your 16-month-old doesn't take a nap anymore? I'm so sorry :crying: I think I would go insane! I would say plop the baby in a pack 'n play or high chair and do art 2-3 times a week. An hour of being confined will be good for the baby (though she surely won't like it), and for you and your little artist! If all else fails, art supplies are generally non-toxic :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisha Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 We used to put the little one in the highchair and give him safe art projects to do with us. Such as sculpt with aluminum foil, finger paint with pudding, or other projects as listed above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Put the 5 year old and the art supplies in a play pen. Failing that put the little one in a high chair. I put a gate on the older child's door to keep the baby out. It worked for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama27 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 My youngest had this OBSESSION with eating crayons. Total OBSESSION. I tried everything to get her to quit and she would grab them and run and stuff them in her mouth. I finally gave up, made sure I only bought Crayola and let it. Eventually she quit. But I always knew what colors she had eaten! lol Not helpful, I know, but you're not alone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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