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"messy" crafts for 4 yr old.



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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 4:32 pm
dd asked for crafts. when I offered crayons and markers she said she only wants "crafts that make a mess". I have paint but it truly is messy and I can't have that every day.

Any ideas what she can do? it can be messy but needs to be contained and doable by a table and also age appropriate.
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bbhem5




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 4:57 pm
Clay / playdough is messy but can be contained.
Scissors and glue stick
Crayola Mess-free painting
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Teomima




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 4:57 pm
Some kinds of paint are less messy than others. I find watercolors manageable, mess-wise.

Playing with clay (real clay, not plasticine) can be fun and messy but is easy to clean up with just water.

Another option is to let her play with more messy things but in the bathtub. You can find recipes for homemade bath paints online.

Play-Doh might not be messy enough for her, but she can easily make her own and squishing all the ingredients together can be fun and messy without being too much. Similarly, baking.
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behappy2




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 5:03 pm
Pom poms, feathers, crepe paper with glue. I'm assuming that's what she means. Ask her which things are messy.
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shanarishona




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 5:08 pm
Dot painting?
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amother
Crystal


 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 5:19 pm
Solid poster paints - there are different brands
https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Ri.....PC2NU

Finger painting

Tearing paper (construction paper)

collaging - all kinds of materials

building with ice cream sticks

Have fun!!
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 5:41 pm
clay is a good idea. she played with it often in the summer. I should check if she's bored of it.

when I asked she said "paint" but how often can you paint? also, what do kids that age paint on? I gave her canvas but in 5 minutes it's all covered and they can get pricey.

I like the idea of pompoms and such to glue on paper.

looks like a trip to the crafts store in on my to do list.
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amother
Forsythia


 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 5:43 pm
We paint on construction paper or glue (pompoms, googly eyes, shredded paper)
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GLUE




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 6:42 pm
Beads they get everywhere
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thunderstorm




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 6:46 pm
My kids always loved decorating brown paper lunch bags and made puppets out of them. They have a supplies box filled with :
Glue
Tape
Construction paper
Patterned paper scraps
Googly eyes
Pipe cleaners
Pom Poms
Stencils with shapes to trace
Washable Markers
Crayons
Stickers


Last edited by thunderstorm on Wed, Oct 06 2021, 6:52 pm; edited 1 time in total
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amother
Mintcream


 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 6:46 pm
I like the Melissa and Doug paint with water books. Also water colors aren't that messy. The dollar store has a lot of craft stuff. My little one likes gluing things with a glue stick like pom poms and googly eyes if you don't have babies who mouth things.
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behappy2




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 6:50 pm
Cover the table in plastic and get her a smock. Don't feel bad if you're not up to it. I'm sure she paints a lot in school/playgroup.
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Puppies




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Oct 06 2021, 6:56 pm
Instead of throwing out cereal boxes, I fold them flat and store them under the kitchen sink for the kids to use to paint or glue on.
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Teomima




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 07 2021, 12:23 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
when I asked she said "paint" but how often can you paint? also, what do kids that age paint on? I gave her canvas but in 5 minutes it's all covered and they can get pricey.

Definitely not canvas, that's a huge waste. You can buy big blocks of craft paper. For watercolors you don't want paper that's too thin but you can still buy large, cheap pads of thicker paper. For poster paints, construction paper is fine.
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jfk92




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 07 2021, 1:29 am
Perhaps she means something she can get her hands into. If so, id try- Sand art/kinetic sand, and water beads and salt dough. And of course a real good mess, baking lol
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amother
Babypink


 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 6:28 am
Gell puff paint stickers by cra-z art
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SuperWify




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 6:37 am
Kinetic sand is great.

We do it on a splat mat so it stays contained.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 6:43 am
OP, you are such a great mom for wanting to make your sensory seeking child happy! I love that you are not so much afraid of the mess that you would deprive your child. I know a lot of moms would faint at the sight of glitter.

If playing outdoors is not an option, the bathtub is a great idea. Another good one is to buy a sturdy plastic table cloth, and lay it out on the floor for her to do her projects on. When she's done, you can shake it clean outside, like you would a rug.

A deep storage bin is a great place to keep kinetic sand, squishy stuff, or anything else she likes to dig her hands in. Rice and beans are very fun, and not so expensive.

"Slime" will destroy any fabric it touches, so be careful with it. I discovered that the hard way. Mad

Jelly marbles are the BEST! You can order them from Steve Spangler Science, and sometimes you can find them at florist shops or home garden centers. Non toxic, long lasting, and incredibly satisfying. When they finally fall apart, you can put them in your plants to help keep them watered for a long time.

When DD was little I ordered a lot from Steve Spangler, and she was the most popular kid on the block! https://www.amazon.com/stores/.....t_bln
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imabima




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 11 2021, 10:27 am
Make Ooblek! mix corn starch with a little water at a time until it becomes a solid/liquid. so much fun and once it tried it can be swept off any surface
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DreamerForever




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Oct 12 2021, 4:47 pm
'Paint sticks'- lots of fun, very clean- It works like a glue stick with and once on the paper it looks like paint. I often mess around with them myself and find it therapeutic... Confused
https://www.amazon.com/Little-.....r=8-3

'bingo dabbers'- similar to paint but much neater and very satsfying. best for ages 2-5. They aren't cheap but last for ages and ages

https://www.amazon.com/DAB-INK.....1ZQ==
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