Young toddlers are often very interested in practical experiences. They want to know what you are doing and do it too! Sometimes this is possible, and other times not so much. So you may want to create some work that your toddler can easily explore that is LIKE the real life alternative. Or as much like it as possible.
One example of this at our house is my makeup bag. Gus loves it! If he could dig through my bag all day, he would. The problem is, makeup wasn't really meant to be treated as roughly as a young toddler tends to treat it. It's also messy, and, personally, I don't love the idea of a toddler mouthing something that I'm then rubbing on my body/face (especially during cold/flu season).
To combat this issue, I made Gus a small little makeup bag of his own. In it I placed a few containers that were ready to be thrown away. A couple were cream/lotion type things and a couple were compact cases with small mirrors. I stuck it all in a drawstring bag meant for sunglasses. So easy!
I popped the little bag on his shelf, and its the perfect little Gus-themed work! It's similar to his open/close basket, but still practical and attractive for his individual interests. You can do this with anything similar! Some ideas that come to mind:
- food containers
- cleaning supply containers
- clothing accessories (sunglasses, hats, ties)
- game boxes
The sky is really the limit, just base it on your own child and his/her interests! The only thing I personally draw the line with is medicine bottles. I don't want my children to ever think its alright to play with those, so I would never create work using them, even if they are highly interested.
Have you ever created work based on your child's individual interests? What have you done?
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