Embrace Your Child's Creativity

I discovered how much I love to make a mess.  Don't get me wrong, I do like to have things organized so that I can find something the next time I need it, but I love play dough.  And sensory tables of beans or rice or pasta.  And paint!  I love to paint!  True, my paintings are much more impressionistic than realistic, but I sure do enjoy the process.  There sure is something to be said for not worrying about the mess in the moment, and enjoying creating something fun and new.

One of the best distractions I have found for these insanely cold days we have been having is to just haul out the art supplies and letting the kids go crazy with it.  They have so much fun, and turn out some really great stuff.  However, if you don't enjoy a mess quite as much as I do, this endeavor could become more than you bargained for.  Here are a few tips and tricks I've learned that let us make the most of  our messes without letting them get out of hand.

We love to build with Legos.  They have to be one of the best toys ever- unless they are hiding in a dark corner waiting to jump out at you in the dark when you have no shoes on.  Then they are the worst invention ever, and what were we thinking?!  :P  But, anyway... The husband... I mean, Santa found the kids play mats that are typically used for collectible card gaming that work wonders for Lego play.  They provide a defined space for each child, have a non-slip benefits (both between the table and mat, and the mat and Legos), and help keep the noise of poured out Legos from getting to an unbearable level.

Play Mat

For play dough, we have a vinyl table cloth with picnic table clips.  The table cloth is a must have for my table- it has a decorative groove about six inches from each edge, and I really don't want to have to dig play dough out of it.  The vinyl is easy to wash, and folds nicely for storage with the play dough supplies.

Pretty much anything else, I will allow directly on the table surface.  When we collage, I use a pan scraper to scrape the glue off the table and then wash like usual.  I got one from Pampered Chef a while ago when I ordered something, and it works great for my table.  I don't even know if it gets used for what it was intended any more...  Oh, well... I will definitely hit them up for more when this one dies.  :)

from: Pampered Chef

Between a vinegar and dish soap mix, baking soda, hand sanitizer, and the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, pretty much everything else just washes off.  Be aware, I never put all of these on the table at the same time.   I start with the dish soap mix, and if that doesn't work, rinse and then try the baking soda.  No go? Rinse and repeat with the hand sanitizer.  And so on.  Definitely be careful of mixing chemicals.  :)

Last tip:  For organization, I love bins/tubs, vinyl or plastic zippered pencil pouches, and gallon size zipper bags.  They are easy to label, and you can choose which will work best due to what you need to store and where it will be kept.  We use bins for Legos and some of the play dough accessories (and a lot of the other small toys), and bags for the sensory table fillers and some of the play dough accessories that don't sit down in the tubs that we have as well.  The pencil pouches are great for crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc., and then I stand them up in a tub that is just longer than the pouches are.  Makes for much easier finding the must-have medium of the moment.  Figure out what works for you and go with it.

Have fun making messes with your little ones!  Creativity is one of the best boredom busters, and having the supplies on hand will cut down on all the "There's nothing to do!"s you will hear.  And, again, seeing you enjoying the materials with them will increase the fun that your child has exploring what you have provided for them.  The opportunities are endless, for both of you.

Well, the play dough is calling....