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you can help her to draw around templates. Then let her decorate it.

A good idea for Easter is to get a little basket and let her decorate that with straw, pom pom chicks, ribbons etc. This can take a surprisingly long time and will provide amusement value for you as she chats to the chicks.

At Christmas I indulge in some glitter. If you buy cheap Christmas cards, your toddler can brighten them up with glue and glitter. Glitter is normally not recommended for littlies, so you must supervise them every minute, clear up immediately, and put the glitter away somewhere safe (and preferably secret!) when you are done.

Often through the last year I have let my daughter decorate boxes to put presents in. To do this you need a small, empty cardboard box, perhaps the one that the tea-bags were in. Examine the box and carefully undo the seams. Sometimes application of steam helps. Turn the box inside out and stick it back together. If you have to, use tape but only on the inside. You now have a nice white box ready for decoration.

In my fridge there is always a big lump of salt dough. You make it from equal parts salt and flour, a splodge of oil and enough water to make a good texture. Some people cook it, adding too much water, then drying it down, but I don't think this is really necessary. It must be kneaded well and kept wrapped in cling film in the fridge. It does not keep that long but it is wonderful for those 'oh no, what are we going to do now' moments. You can add food colouring to bits of it. The advantages of this dough are that it is cheap, easy to make, tastes horrible and, most important, you can bake it in a slow oven and it will harden.

This is the perfect answer to all of your extended family gift questions! Your little one can have lots of fun playing with as much of the dough as she likes, then when she is happy with her creations, pop them in a cool oven until it's hard. Afterwards she can paint them. A bid fat brush and really thick powder paint is excellent. If you mix an egg into it as well it will stick better and stay nice and glossy. Make sure she washes her hands well after using this dough because salt is of course very drying. If your child has a skin condition you could use a barrier cream.

There are many more craft projects you can do with your toddler. The above should give you a starting point to develop your own ideas with your own child in mind.

Learn more about this author, Briar Shaw.
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