Hey Guys!

Miss Aliza was blessed with so many amazing women in her life! A mommy, 2 grandmothers, 2 Great grandmothers, a Godmother, a great aunt and many more. This means tons of Mother’s Day gifts, and because mommy is not going to buy everyone a gift, Liza will make tons of crafts, which are more meaningful anyways! Here is another awesome craft to do with your little ones! I love crafts that include hand and foot prints because it’s a great memory of how tiny they once were!

Finger Painting

One of Aliza’s favorite activities is FINGER PAINTING! She would use up all the paint if I didn’t stop her, and the ONLY way to stop her is if I tell her she can play in the bath! Otherwise, she’s definitely giving me a hard time to clean up!

What kind of paint do you use for finger painting?

I cant stress enough how great it is to let your kids get messy !! I know us moms have to deal with the clean up, but it is so beneficial for our babies! I know PAINT and TODDLER is a SCARY combination, but with this amazing finger paint kit you will be just fine! Aliza literally got the paint in her eye today and she was OK! I mean obviously do not put the paint in their eyes but it will be ok if they get a little crazy! It cleans up with baby wipes and comes out of clothes with water! Plus, the kit includes finger painting paper that does not rip easily after it gets soggy!

Benefits of finger painting for your toddler!

Finger painting is such a great activity to create art, especially if your toddler is not ready to use crayons and markers. It allows them to use both hands and is a great activity for fine motor and visual motor skills. Lastly, finger painting is beneficial because it’s a form of messy play as I stated above. It provides multiple sensory experiences to help tackle those tactile sensitivities!

For this craft you only need your little ones hands and footprints. You can apply a little bit of paint to whichever hand or foot you want with a brush or your finger. I use my finger, it’s cheaper! Tip: don’t use too much paint and do not push down too hard on hand or foot when pressing onto paper because it will smudge! We did a couple prints before getting “usable” prints! They do not have to be perfect; mom will be happy regardless! After you get your prints, let them dry and let your little one get MESSY !

 

YOU guys! LOOK AT GIANNA blessing us with her presence! She was so excited to be included in this craft! I loved covering her tiny toes in paint! Babies toes will curl naturally because of their reflex, but this is a great way to start introducing her to some sensory play ! She was such a great sport <3

When do kids start using scissors?

For this activity I introduced Aliza to scissors. WHAT? SCISSORS? Yes, believe it or not, a child following the appropriate developmental track should start cutting at the age of 2! I love these safety scissors for toddlers just learning to cut because it features a special lever that opens the blades after each cut, helping children learn how to cut more easily. It can then be flipped for traditional cutting action just like the BIG KIDS! The blunt blades ONLY cut paper for added safety! It wont cut their skin, clothes or hair! My mom needed these for that one time I cut my hair off!

The importance of scissor skills

The opening and closing motion of cutting really helps strengthen the tiny muscles in their hands! Encouraging her to hold the paper with her other hand was to work on bilateral coordination, which means using both sides of the body at the same time! Believe it or not, but cutting with scissors uses a lot of upper body strength and stability! Being able to control smooth arm movements requires a strong trunk!

Ok guys, so the last part of this activity only requires your creativity and lots of gluing. Aliza helped press down the sticks, leaves and prints after I applied the glue, working on her fine motor skills. I used wood coffee stirrers for my stems and just colored them myself. If you find cute straws, this would work perfectly fine too! Add your own little touch and make sure to add your tots signature! Moms, grandma’s, great grandmas… they all love crafts, especially when its coming from that cutie they love so much! Take some time to have fun with your toddlers!

I hope you guys enjoyed watching the #sierragirls make their second Mother’s Day craft! I will only get my babies for so long before they are off to school and I am taking full advantage of spending quality time with them while I can! Stay tuned for our next activity!

-COTA MOM

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