Craft ideas for 2 year olds

[alex__17]

Any ideas? I'm feeling ill with a cold and having a mind blank!
I want something quick to set up that's not horribly messy to clear up (bit of mess fine!) where they have something to show for it at the end, 2 x 2 year olds and an 18 month old.

[snortlet]

I've just cut some ice lolly shapes out of card and stuck a stick on the back. Then put gems, sparkly bits, foil sweet wrappers etc out to glue on. sorry no pics yet!

[loocyloo]

Paint on a tray .. Make patterns scribbles etc. Take prints :-)

[clareelizabeth1]

My DS is 2 1/2 at the mo his fave thing is to get a box have me cut a hole in it then he decorates his "robot head" with gems paint and any thing else he can find. This activity has been going for over a week now it is one very decorated robot head.

Next fave is a small pallet tray with the primary colours in it and the a clean pallet to mix the colours and paper to paint. All pictures are coming out brown but he's learning and enjoying it.

Cars in paint is fairly clean and if you do one colour at a time you can get a really effective picture for the wall at the end.

Cutting and sticking back to basics but I have found DS likes nothing more than cutting with scissors.

Another good one although can be slightly messy depending on the child is turning a bowl upside down and covering in clean film. Then using cut up bits of yarn dip them in runny glue then lay on the bowl. Once dry they make awesome looking bowls for trinkets. I have one DS made at 18 months that I use for little nicknacks.

[alex__17]

Brilliant thank you, I found some things called noodle doodles in the cupboard that I bought ages ago which were a definite hit (and mess free as just use water!) which was just right for feeling ill yesterday!
I have an old big cardboard box, I might cut holes in it I think 2 of them could fit inside then put paint outside and glue etc and see what they come up with :-)
Liking the ice lolly idea too.
My son is going through the whole making as much mess on anything but the paper stage at the mo so I'm tending to only do painting while outside...!