Toddlers enjoy working with play dough for the feel and changes they can see, not necessarily the product they make. Encourage them to find ways to roll, pound, flatten and squish the dough. This helps toddlers develop strength in their fingers and hands. Add wooden craft sticks as a tool to cut pieces of the dough or poke holes through it. Homemade play dough consisting of salt, flour and water is safer to use since toddlers have a tendency to put materials into their mouths.
Encourage toddlers to attempt to draw with crayons, using fat ones that are easier for little fingers to hold. Remember that their art reflects the early stages of drawing, so scribbling with a few shapes is normal for this age. Tape sheets of paper to the table that allows toddlers to concentrate on their coloring rather than holding the paper. Bright colors will attract their attention. As a preschool curriculum project for toddlers, set up a large cardboard appliance box in the room and invite them to sit inside and decorate the walls with crayons.
Toddlers love to explore stickers; they are colorful and can relate to holidays and special characters. Give the children a sheet of waxed paper and a few stickers to apply. Don't be surprised if you see the stickers on the child and their clothes. It's OK; they are just showing their creative abilities.
Toddlers usually begin with finger painting, which is the easiest technique for little fingers. Make sure to cover the child's clothing with paint smocks or old shirts. It's safer to use edible alternatives to paint for very young toddlers such as pudding, whipped cream and yogurt. Painting with these materials can be done on clean trays or baking sheets. As toddlers mature, introduce brush painting into your preschool curriculum for toddlers using short-handled paintbrushes and nontoxic paints at an easel.
Teaching toddlers not to tear books is a must, however with this art project tearing paper is acceptable. Provide the children with a variety of colored papers and let them tear them into small pieces. Next, teach toddlers to glue the pieces onto a large sheet of paper to make a collage. A fun collage alternative is placing the paper pieces onto the sticky surface of clear adhesive paper that has been taped down onto the table, sticky side out.