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Marshmallow Rainbows - Fine Motor Art for Kids

Today we pulled out a favorite activity, painting rainbows with marshmallows. We paint rainbows every year at this time in anticipation of spring. The boys get a huge kick out of painting with marshmallows, and I get the satisfaction of knowing that using marshmallows boosts fine motor skills.

How to Paint with Marshmallows

I set up an invitation to paint rainbows by filling up a silicone mold with the seven colors of the rainbow. I attached marshmallows to toothpicks. This step is optional. Sometimes we use toothpicks, and other times we don't.

All four boys love painting with food, so this art project is always guaranteed to captivate them all.

JZ (6) has the tendency to choose one color and stick with it. He painted a solid blue arch and proudly showed off his "rainbow".

Tank (25 months) used the marshmallows on the toothpicks for awhile then pulled them apart and rolled the marshmallows in the paint.

J-Bug (4) wanted a perfect rainbow. It was really important to him to get it right. After painting his rainbow we used school glue to attach several marshmallows to one end, forming a cloud.

For more ways to paint follow me on Pinterest.

More rainbow activities for kids:

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Marshmallow Rainbows - Fine Motor Art for Kids Today we pulled out a favorite activity, painting rainbows with marshmallows. We paint rainbows every year at this time in anticipation of spring. The boys get a huge kick out of painting with marshmallows, and I get the satisfaction of knowing that using marshmallows boosts fine motor skills.

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Easy Easter Crafts for Kids

These easy Easter crafts for kids are all simple and trust me the treats are easy to make too (I am not that good in the kitchen).

I love Easter and all the pretty, tasty, and adorable crafts and treats that come with it. It is also a great holiday that allows us to create fun activities with the kids. These are our top 21 Easter activities for kids and parents to make and celebrate the holiday together.

Hello! If you are checking us out for the first time and like what you see subscribe here and get new ideas to play and learn with your kids daily. You can also follow me on Facebook!

If you teach preschool or preschool at home, you will love my Little School my ebook of preschool activities.

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These easy Easter crafts for kids are all simple and trust me the treats are easy to make too (I am not that good in the kitchen). I love Easter and all the pretty, tasty, and adorable crafts and treats that come with it.

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Once your child is 2 years old, she's officially a toddler! And it can be hard not to compare your child with other toddling tots.

If you're not completely sure what skills are typical at this age, check out these developmental milestones. You'll get a better idea of which skills are typically expected of a 2-year-old. You'll also learn if there may be developmental delays to discuss with the pediatrician.

Physical Milestones

This year, children may not only  grow  by leaps and bounds, but also learn  to leap and bound! Expect to see big things happening with the big muscles (gross motor skills), as well as development in small muscle movement (fine motor skills).

Most 2-year-olds learn to do things like these by the end of their third year:

Walk, run and start learning to jump with both feet

Pull or carry toys while walking

Throw and kick a ball; try to catch with both hands

Stand on tiptoes and balance on one foot

Climb on furniture and playground equipment

Walk up stairs, holding on to the railing; may alternate feet

Learn some fun ways to help your child build gross motor skills.

Start brushing own teeth and hair

May pull pants up and down

Turn on the faucet and wash hands

Build a block tower of at least four blocks

Start practicing snaps and zipping up (if you start the zip)

Hold utensils and crayons with fingers instead of a fist, although the grasp still may not be quite right (Get tips to help young kids get ready to write.)

Learn some fun ways to help your child build fine motor skills.

Cognitive Milestones

Kids start thinking in new ways, learning new skills and finding new techniques to solve problems. By the end of this year, kids typically:

Enjoy more complicated pretend play, like pretending that a box is a spaceship or assigning people characters when playing (Read how pretend play can help build executive functioning skills.)

Remember and talk about things that happened in the past, using phrases like "the other day" or "a long time ago"

Do three- to four-piece puzzles

Group toys by type, size or color

Recite favorite books and nursery rhymes with you

May follow two-step directions, such as "take off your coat and hang it up"

Learn simple ways to help your child follow directions.

Language Milestones

By the end of the third year, children usually understand much of what you say to them. They're also talking more. At this age, most children can do these things:

Understand the words for familiar people, everyday objects and body parts

Use a variety of single words by 18 months and speak in sentences of two to four words by 24 months (may combine nouns and verbs, like "mommy eat"); have a vocabulary of 200+ words by 36 months

Repeat words she hears

Start asking "what's that?" and "why?"

Begin using plurals (dogs) and basic pronouns (me, you)

Learn more about young children and trouble pronouncing words.

Social and Emotional Milestones

Two-year-olds start to be more independent and more interested in other kids. But not having the words to express themselves can be frustrating. By the end of this year, kids will likely do things like this:

Mimic what other kids and adults do and say, as well as how they say it

Be happy to play near, if not with, other kids

Start to realize she can do things without your help

Disobey more than before, doing things she's told not to do, just to test what happens

Have tantrums when frustrated (Read about the difference between tantrums and meltdowns.)

Show increasing separation anxiety by 18 months, which typically eases considerably by 24 months; become increasingly independent and aware of herself as her own person between 24 and 36 months

Learn more about social-emotional skills to expect at different ages.

Keep in mind that kids develop at different paces. If your child is late to do a few of these things, don't panic. But if she isn't meeting many of these milestones as she approaches age 3, consider talking to her doctor about an evaluation to see if early intervention could help develop her skills.

And take a look forward at developmental milestones for 3-year-olds.

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Developmental Milestones for Typical 2-Year-Olds

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Once your child is 2 years old, she's officially a toddler! And it can be hard not to compare your child with other toddling tots. If you're not completely sure what skills are typical at this age, check out these developmental milestones. You'll get a better idea of which skills are typically expected of a 2-year-old.