Spring Crafts for Babies and Toddlers
These spring crafts help babies and toddlers practice different developmental skills.
Make flowers and other spring shapes using paint, tissue paper, and even fruits and veggies!
Be sure to fully supervise Baby the whole time, and let older toddlers make creative decisions to keep them engaged.
Brighten up your home for the spring season with these easy spring crafts for babies and toddlers! Each craft helps Baby practice developmental skills at different ages. Plus, their artwork can double as a gift for Mother’s Day or a spring birthday!
Painted Spring Shapes
For ages 4 months and older—Helps develop motor and sensory skills.
Let your little one’s creativity run wild without the mess! This painted shape craft helps Baby practice gross motor skills like reaching and pushing up on their arms during Tummy Time, and fine motor skills that involve their hands and fingers.
What you’ll need:
Cardstock paper
Scissors
Non-toxic paint
Zipper gallon bag
Masking/painter’s tape
Instructions:
Using the whole length of the cardstock paper, cut out a fun spring shape, such as a flower, bunny, Easter egg, or butterfly.
Dot the paper with small globs of different paint colors. Pastel hues are perfect for the season!
Carefully slide the paper into the gallon bag. Seal the bag and tape all four edges down on a hard surface where Baby will paint. Use a table if Baby can sit up independently in a high chair, or try the floor for a fun way to do Tummy Time!
Let Baby drag the paint around with their hands—you may need to show them how to do it first.
When your little artist is done, cut the taped edges off of the zipper bag and peel the plastic off of the painting. Set the artwork on a flat surface to dry (make sure it’s out of Baby’s reach!), then put it on display!
Bonus: Turn Baby’s creation into a card by using the unpainted side of the paper to write a special message!
Crumpled Tissue Paper Flower
For ages 10 months and older—Helps develop sensory and fine motor skills.
This pretty flower art piece helps Baby work on fine motor skills like the pincer grasp and introduces them to different textures!
What you’ll need:
Pencil
Paper plate or cardstock
Scissors
Colored tissue paper
Non-toxic liquid glue
Instructions:
Outline a simple flower on a paper plate or cardstock, then cut it out.
Cut or tear off several small pieces of colored tissue paper, about the size of a sticky note. You can use a variety of colors for a multi-colored flower or use two to keep it simple (one for the petals and one for the center).
Show Baby how to crumple up the paper scraps into rough balls. Then, let them try to pick up the paper and do it themselves. (Depending on Baby’s skills, you may choose to crumple the paper yourself and just have Baby practice picking the balls up with their hands/fingers.)
Glue the tissue paper balls onto your flower until the shape is filled in. If you have a toddler, they can help with this part! Just add a few dabs of glue onto your flower at a time and let them press the paper balls into place.
Bonus: Use this activity to teach Baby about textures! As they’re crumpling the paper scraps, describe the paper as “wrinkly”. Once their flower creation dries, let them gently feel the crumpled paper. You may describe it as “rough” or “bumpy”.
Food Print Art
For ages 18 months and older—Helps develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sensory skills.
Your toddler will “get their fruits and veggies in” with this food print activity! Plus, it helps them work on fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sensory processing. Do it outside for stress-free mess and some fresh spring air!
What you’ll need:
Cut-up fruits/veggies, such as apple slices
Non-toxic paint
Paper plate
Paper
Instructions:
Cut up whatever fruits or veggies you have on hand—apple slices, small bunches of broccoli, or baby carrots work great!
Put your paint onto the paper plate, making sure there is enough to cover the surface of the fruits/veggies you’re using.
Lightly dip your fruit/veggie into the paint, then show your toddler how to stamp it on the paper. Once they have the hang of it, let them try dipping the fruits/veggies on their own!
Bonus: For more skilled little artists, you can help them create a spring scene with different fruit and veggies stamps. Apple slices can turn into flower petals, while broccoli bunches make great trees or clouds!
Fresh Flower Bouquet
For ages 24 months and older—Helps develop motor, sensory, and communication skills.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt for this fresh floral craft that combines many developmental skills! Your toddler will put their gross and fine motor skills to use when picking flowers* and engage their senses when smelling them!
*Be sure to watch for signs of seasonal allergies, which can start to develop around this age.
What you’ll need:
Flowers
A large cup/small vase, plus water to fill it
Instructions:
Walk around your yard, the neighborhood, or a public park and look for flowers with your toddler. Help them pick a variety of flowers with different colors (make sure they are ok to pick first!).
Let your toddler smell each flower as you go. Ask them if they like the scent and give them words to describe it.
When you get back home, help your toddler arrange the flowers in a cup or vase, then fill it about 3/4 of the way with water.
Bonus: Help your toddler expand their vocabulary by naming the colors of the flowers you pick. You can quiz them after!
Make sure Baby is closely supervised while doing these crafts. For older toddlers, try letting them make choices about the shapes, colors, etc. you use to engage them in the activity even more. After craft time, soak up the spring sun with these outdoor activities!
