Easy Finger Painting Cross Craft for Toddlers (with nontoxic paints!)
My toddler daughter and I love to do all things festive, fun, and “on-theme” for each holiday, so Easter is no exception. We keep activities light, age-appropriate, and faith-based, while also totally photo-worthy for those memory books. This year we had some fun fingerpainting a cross. I loved this craft, because not only did it serve her developing skills, but the final product can also be used as a treasured keepsake:
Masking Tape Cross
I started by using masking tape to tape a cross-shape onto the cardstock paper, keeping the cross taped on the entire time she painted.
You just have to keep your hand steady to get those even lines!
2. Prep the Finger Paint
I prepared some non-toxic edible veggie paints ahead of time (I used VeggieBaby off of Amazon ). They have natural and vibrant colors, perfect for the Easter season.
These veggie paints are so easy to use and nontoxic!
3. Painting time!
I gave my daughter some paint brushes to help her work on those fine-motor skills, though we transitioned to finger-painting about halfway through the craft. She had free-reign to explore the paints and brushes, and to put color all over the paper and tape.
Pro-tip: I took off her shirt and put a long-sleeve bib on for easy clean up; I also kept her in the high chair and put an unfolded trash baggie underneath it.
4. Remove the tape
After the paint dried, I removed the tape and the white cross appeared, surrounded by the splotches of color.
Take it slow on peeling it back so the paper doesn’t rip (which lightly happened on mine) and the paint doesn’t smudge.
5. Frame it as a keepsake!
I framed her artwork and plan on using it for my Easter decorations each year, as a memory of her 1-year old Easter season. You could repeat this with each child at the same age and have a gallery of their unique, colorful Easter artwork.
Framed and already hanging on the wall. A part of my Easter decor each year.
Bonus: we used the extra paint to paint some Easter eggs! I loved the paint because it was easy to clean and non-toxic, perfect for little hands and mouths.
Most of all, enjoy the process of crafting together with your toddler. And what better way to do that than with messy hands and a meaningful message.
So, take the photos. Make the keepsakes. Treasure the traditions. Because it all goes so fast.
Happy Easter from me and my toddler to you and yours! :)