Toddler Crafts: Stamping

While our little caveman toddlers need structure in their days, coming up with "successful" activities for them can be a little challenging. Specifically when considering that everything will end up in their mouths (paint, beads, dirt, you name it) and clean-up is directly proportional to the amount of fun an activity will present. Coloring: fun factor = 1, Clean-up factor =1. Making mud pies: fun factor =5, Clean-up factor = 50. And let's face it, the fun factor attributable to clean-up is at least a -20; we're lucky to escape without a full scale, defiant temper tantrum. Because picking up and washing your hands, are sooo awful and I must be the meanest mom ever.

This week we present the toddler craft of stamping, as we begin to ramp up our sweatshop for fathers' day gifts. Ahh, sophisticated handy-crafts.

A Stamping Tutorial (for you novices out there):

Step 1- procure stamps and washable, non-toxic ink stamp pads
Step 2- introduce toddler to the graceful art of inking the stamp and
pressing into paper
Step 3 - sit back with pride as toddler creates magical scenes of kittens
and rainbows
Step 4 - quick and easy clean-up with a wet paper towel and hand wash

The reality

• Toddler will be so giddy at thought of stamps that she can barely maintain focus long enough to look at you, forget listening.


• In approximately 15 seconds toddler will cover every conceivable inch of giant floor pad paper with stamps. And not the pretty stamps - ours chose windmill and guitar, bypassing cat, dog and rainbow all together.


• Stamping may need to be re-purposed as an outdoor activity: toddler will yell out the name of the stamp every time she stamps it. WINDMILL! WINDMILL! (Please, please don't wake up the baby!)


• When you turn your back to get a new sheet of paper, toddler will create a near-perfect tattoo sleeve of stamps on her arms.


• Remember how you specifically purchased "washable"ink? Well, apparently "washable" is a loose interpretation. After multiple hand washings, including scrubbing with your favorite exfoliating sugar scrub - your toddler's colored fingers & arm tattoos remain. Now is when you can at least feel better about saying no to a second arm stamp yourself.