Fun with Finger Paint!

Oooh! This is a fun one, everybody!

The masterpiece above was the result of our adventures in finger painting recently. I had pinned this great idea from Fun at Home with Kids a little while ago and was excited to give it a try. You can see more of Brady's artistic adventures below. But first, the edible finger painting inspired me to come up with a top 10 list for fun with toddlers. This was a bit of a challenge because, as you well may know, to a toddler everything is a toy (especially the remotes). And though, everyday household items provide valuable learning opportunities as well, there are certain toys that promote some great brain development during those first couple years. So, without further ado:

Top 10 Toys for Toddlers:

1. Shape Sorter
2. Stacking rings
3. Wooden blocks
4. Push toy
5. Board books
6. Drum
7. “Chunky” vehicles
8. Baby doll
9. Edible finger paint
10. Textured letters

These toys cover the spectrum of early childhood developmental areas. Toddlers will use them to practice their skills in fine and gross motor, language, problem solving, spatial concepts and social/emotional awareness. And, they're just plain fun!

So, back to the finger paint.

I used plain Greek yogurt and food coloring (easy peasy). And he had such a great time. And, I have to credit my husband's photography skills. I love how the photos capture the progression of his experimentation; hesitant at first, a dab here and there, a bit of a taste and then full-out two-handed squishing and spreading.

   

Google's Auto-Awesome is one of my favorite things! Take a few pictures in a row and it does this for you. So cool!

Hope you find the above list helpful! Definitely give the finger painting a try and thanks so much to Fun at Home with Kids for the suggestion!

I'd love to hear your go-to items for toddlers! Anything you would add to the list?