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Patriotic Painting with Toddlers

Family Fun That's Toddler Friendly

By Kymberly Pratt

When the paint dries completely, let your little one decorate the house with his creations. They make wonderful centerpieces, look great on an end table or mantle and would look nice in a decorative bowl.

These bags make wonderful gifts.

You'll need:
Canvas tote bag
Red, white and blue fabric paints
Aluminum foil
Paper towels

Here's what you do:
Place the aluminum foil inside the canvas tote to prevent the paint from bleeding onto the other side. Then, lay the bag out flat on some paper towels.

You are going to be making an American flag, so keep this in mind while painting. Paint the inside of your child's hand with blue fabric paint. In the top left corner of your bag, make two to four handprints to resemble the corner of stars on the flag. (You may need to paint your child's hand a few times.)

Next, make a row of red handprints at the very top of the bag in the same fashion. Then, make a row of white. Repeat rows until you get to the bottom of the bag. Allow to dry before packing your picnic in it!

This is another craft that makes a great birthday gift. You can make several colors of the sand and store it in baby food jars or small mason jars. Give them as gifts with some glue and thick paper.

You'll need:
Play sand
Red, white and blue dry tempera paint
Gallon-size plastic baggies
Cardboad
White glue

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Red, White and You! Patriotic Fun for Anytime of the Year
• A Patriotic Picnic: Food and Fun on the Fourth
• Water Fun: Pool Crafts for Tots
• Talk about it!