13month old and painting?

[Kaybeaa]

I Currently mind a 13 month old, and I'm stuck for craft ideas to do with him. My other mindees are 2 and 3 and love painting, drawing, cutting and sticking etc but the baby at present can't really join in any of these activities. If I put paint in his high chair he either tries to eat it (have tried edible paint) or pick up the paper and scrunch it up then throw it on the floor. He can't as yet hold a paint dabber or anything and as I say, can't finger paint as he just ends up screwing the paper up. When making cards for birthdays etc I've just had to do hand and footprints so far but even that's a struggle as he doesn't seem to like getting dirty or wet! I'm sure as he gets older he'll be able to join in more but at the minute I'm struggling with what he can do when the older children are painting or drawing. Most of the things that I put on his high chair he tries to eat or just throws it on the floor so introducing mark making is becoming a challenge! I don't want him to miss out though! Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can do?

[mama2three]

Put the paint into sandwich bags and see if he likes squidging and mixing the colours without getting sticky / wet etc. it works well with gel and glitter too. The lo gets the sensory experience without the mess he dislikes.
If he is happy to then Id put paint into the tuffspot out on the grass , strip down to nappies , and let them explore. Works with shaving foam etc too...
How about a big aquadraw sheet on the floor . If he cant hold the water pens then let him dip his hands in a tub of water and mark make , or use sponges...

[Maza]

Just stick with what he enjoys, there will be plenty of time for painting in the years to come. Stick with sensory activities/treasure baskets. If he doesn't like getting dirty then he can still explore with his sense of touch by playing with fabrics in different textures - a piece of velvet, a silk scarf, a scourer, sponge etc. Obviously monitor it so that he doesn't bite off bits of sponge etc.

If he enjoys dropping things from his highchair then make some simple dropping toys - a cardboard box, metal tin, plastic tub (they all sound different when things are dropped in them, so another sensory experience). Vary the things that you give him to drop - small balls, corks, spoons, blocks etc. My mindee used to do this over and over again at this age!

He loves screwing up paper - most of them do and it's a great sensory activity. Mindees dad told me that mindee always crawls to their front door and plays with the junk mail there and that is when he is a his happiest! you could set up a similar activity.

If he doesn't like doing handprints or footprints, simple - don't do them! No one wants to receive a card which made the sender unhappy, kind of defeats the object! x

[mama2three]

thinking more after my earlier post , I think the problem often comes down to expecting an end product. If the child like screwing up the paper then fine , they will be learning cause and effect from that as much as from painting on it. If you want to encourage mark making the maybe just put some rice or similar on the highchair tray. They will swish it around with their hands , progress to fingers , lean lots about mark making - it doesn't matter to the child that there isn't an 'end product' - if its for showing in an ob then take a picture . Sensory play is about exploring different substances , textures , feelings , sounds , smells... and early mark making is about so much more than drawing and painting. poking and prodding playdough ..or even their sandwich...all as valuable to the child.

[Kaybeaa]

Thanks guys both suggestions really helpful. Yes I do include lots of sensory experiences. A huge treasure basket which is rotated weekly, treasure bottles, shaving foam, jelly, water play, materials scarves etc. just been worrying me lately as parent when picking child up been commenting on the other children's paintings and I'm wondering if she's expecting her child to produce something! I feel like she wants a work of art lol! Take plenty of photos though so she knows he's included in everything we do...even if there's no masterpiece at the end of it!