Spring Arts and Crafts for Toddlers – Canvas Painting & Gift Bags

This spring arts and craft project for toddler is great to celebrate spring, Easter or Mother’s Day. It’s easy, a little messy and so much fun. Not only does your toddler practice gross motor skills while painting, you are also left with a piece of art that can be brought out each year.

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Spring Time Fun

This Easter the in-laws are taking our daughter to their hometown for lots of family visits, while my husband and I take a quick trip to New York City for our anniversary. This is the first time Brooklyn (yes we love NYC) has been away from us both for this long and while I have some anxiety I know she will be well taken care of and will love all the Easter festivities.

Even though we can’t be there to see everyone’s reaction, I thought it would be nice to have Brooklyn make everyone a little spring arts and crafts project for everyone. As a toddler she loves exploring with paint and messy things in general so I picked up some mini canvases from the dollar store and we got painting.

She also helped to decorate the little gift bags, which I will now continue to do with her for other holidays, as it’s such an easy toddler craft and is a little extra special something as part of the gift.

Table of Contents

Spring Arts and Crafts for Toddlers – Canvas Painting

What you need:

I picked up most of these items from the dollar store with the exception of the paints. I put Amazon links below so you can see the products or if you need an add-on item for your next purchase. Otherwise the dollar store should have everything you need!

Washable Paint – I picked out the spring colors – orange, yellow, pink and purple.
Paint Brushes
Mini canvases
Foam stickers – spring themed (flowers and butterflies)
Paper plate

What you need for spring art project for toddler - paint, paint brushes, canvas, stickers

Prep (5 minutes or less)

Tape newspaper or craft paper under where the painting will begin
Remove the canvases from their packages and put a sticker or two on the canvas.
Put a glob of each paint color on the paper plate for easy dipping

(note: if your toddler is young like mine (less than 2), putting the paint into small paper cups that they can hold or egg cartons so the paint can be kept separate is a good idea – half way through our paper plate was one big glob of paint as she kept swirling the colors all together – adorable, but not the look I was going for – so afterwards I let her hold each paint container, which she loved)

How to – Easy Spring Arts & Crafts for Toddler – Canvas Painting

Now the fun begins, let your little one paint around and over the foam sticker.

Let the paint dry and carefully remove the sticker.

You will have a beautiful piece of art with a great spring touch.

Finished Project

Spring Arts and Crafts for Toddlers – Gift Bags

I saw these little kraft paper bags at the dollar store and picked up a few packs of three. I thought it would be a nice little touch for Brooklyn to decorate the bags as well as include the painting above for everyone.

What you need:

Kraft paper bags

Stickers – Any spring themed will do

Prep (<1 minute):

Take all the packaging off and you’re ready to go

How to:

Place a kraft bag and some stickers out on a table and let your toddler sticker away.

This is really easy, but loved ones (grandma’s hearts will melt) when they receive these handmade gift bags. As mentioned above, I will try to do these with all my craft gifts.