The Beta Parent_

It’s Child 1’s first Halloween being invited to any parties, and she’s now watched many programmes with the theme. So we made a quick craft that we will be repeating at baby and toddler group this week — monsters (or aliens, apparently).

You’ll need:

• Paper or card
• Collage materials (more paper or card, stickers, googly eyes, and so on — use what you have)
• Glue stick

I let Child 1 draw a large shape on some paper and use her scissors to cut it out. Sort of. She drew one shape and cut out another. Then I let her go to town sticking random shapes that I was cutting out, although she did ask for teeth, smiles, ears, hair, arms, and legs.

I then asked her to stick it another piece of paper to function as background, which she cut up, too.

This was quick, practically no-prep, and she really enjoyed the process. Win!

A quick-to-set-up-with-great-results, guaranteed messy fun — do it outside if you have no way of protecting your surfaces.

You’ll need:

• Paper or card stock
• Watercolours (we have the standard tablets of dried watercolours)
• Water
• Plastic plates, one or more
• Paintbrushes
• Mat (we use a shower curtain)

Lay your mat out if you have one and arrange your paper or card stock on top. Pour a small amount of water onto the plate(s) and wet your paintbrush, brush it over the watercolours, then hold your brush over your paper and flick. Child 1, who is three years old, really enjoyed this.

That’s it! And the results are pretty good.

You’ll need:

• aluminium foil
• masking tape
• ready-mixed paint
• sponge brush, although a cotton ball will do in a pinch
• cotton buds
• paper

Get the step-by-step instructions on Teach Kids Art.

It’s easy and fun for all ages.