Rating: 
Summary: This is a wonderful book!
Review: I always thought that there wasn't much artwise you could do with a very young toddler besides crayons. This book proved otherwise. It contains wonderful art projects appropriate for the age that are simple and use materials around the house. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: Thanks! I needed that!
Review: I have most of Kohl's books. This one is VERY specific to working with the youngest kids...hints for adults and hints for kids. I work with the youngest kids, so this helps me quite a bit. I like the last chapter with ideas of things you can make to use with kids, like a pizza box easel. I found these ideas to be fresh and unique. Though I have used Kohl's other books with the youngest kids, this one brings art into clear focus and I don't have to think at all!!!
Rating:
Summary: Easy for mom, great for kids!
Review: I love this book. I have a 3 1/2 year old and 2 year old and I lead a playgroup. I have seen lots of great ideas for kids, but this book has a format that makes it so easy to put together. I rarely plan ahead and do art on the spur of the moment. I have read the book so many times (I've owned it a couple of weeks) and know the projects. There's a list of everything you need to prepare so I can do it quickly. Plus, I really like the general info. on process art, clean-up and how to make everything kid-friendly and creativity-friendly. I highly recommend it and a number of my friends have already bought their own copies!
Rating:
Summary: Thanks! I needed that!
Review: I wish this book would have been written 10 years ago when I struggled to collect this extensive list of art recipes and ideas for my (then) toddler. Now, 4 children later, I have this wonderfully complete art book to reference whenever the fever strikes us! The structure of this book makes it easy and quick to find the specific areas of art that we are looking for. We have also used this book successfully to spark ideas when we are not sure what we want to do. We highly recommend First Art!
Rating:
Summary: Great book for families with children!
Review: I wish this book would have been written 10 years ago when I struggled to collect this extensive list of art recipes and ideas for my (then) toddler. Now, 4 children later, I have this wonderfully complete art book to reference whenever the fever strikes us! The structure of this book makes it easy and quick to find the specific areas of art that we are looking for. We have also used this book successfully to spark ideas when we are not sure what we want to do. We highly recommend First Art!
Rating: 
Summary: More of the same from Kohl.
Review: If you do not have any of MaryAnn Kohl's books, this will be a good resource for working with very young children. However if, like me, you already own several of Kohl's other books (Scribble Art, Global Art, Preschool Art, etc.) you might not need this one. I found that many of the ideas overlapped those in her other books. There was not a lot of new material here that I could not have adapted from Scribble Art (my favorite of her books, which can be adapted for all ages) or Preschool Art. The ideas in this book do allow for a lot of creative exploration, which cannot be said of a lot of other childrens' art books (many are more concerned with cute results than the child's experience). For that reason I would recommend this author's books very highly, just not necessarily this one!
Rating:
Summary: IT'S ANOTHER WINNER!
Review: Ms. Kohl has outdone herself again...another magnificent art book! This time, Ms. Kohl has put her focus on "Toddlers and Twos" - and has produced a work that is developmentally appropriate, organized and easy to use. The book begins with some developmental information on the age group of Twos and Toddlers; the art processes follow, divided into sections. These "processes" are adaptable to older children - my four and five year old class LOVED sculpture in a bag, as well as the "Toilet Paper" sculpture! (It has to be done to be believed!) I have never been disappointed with a book by Mary Ann Kohl...and I am eagerly awaiting the next one!
Rating:
Summary: IT'S ANOTHER WINNER!
Review: Ms. Kohl has outdone herself again...another magnificent art book! This time, Ms. Kohl has put her focus on "Toddlers and Twos" - and has produced a work that is developmentally appropriate, organized and easy to use. The book begins with some developmental information on the age group of Twos and Toddlers; the art processes follow, divided into sections. These "processes" are adaptable to older children - my four and five year old class LOVED sculpture in a bag, as well as the "Toilet Paper" sculpture! (It has to be done to be believed!) I have never been disappointed with a book by Mary Ann Kohl...and I am eagerly awaiting the next one!
Rating:
Summary: Author's 10 favorite art projects from this book
Review: The secret of this book is that these art experiences are safe, fun and easy for toddlers but if you have older kids they will love them too. If you are a parent like me, you want to set up art projects that will be fun for all your kids. You also want projects that capture their interest and curiosity for a long time. I currently have twin 7 year olds and a 3 year old who have tried almost every project in this book. If you want to dive right into my top 10 favorite projects, here they are with comments based on our personal family experience:Playclay - This is way better than the commercial playdough products you buy in the store. It sounds like a lot of effort to make your own, but this cooked playclay is so luxurious, wonderful and lasts for weeks. It is much better for toddlers than the store bought stuff since it is super soft and easier for tiny hands to roll, mold, and squeeze. Waterpaint - Too easy to be true! Tips on taking a bucket of water and brushes and "painting" outdoors on a summer day. Feelie Goop - A recipe of cornstarch and water with bizzare properties that fascinates toddlers, kids and adults alike. First Color Mixing - This is such a favorite that I bought four ice cube trays and lots of food coloring and I bring this out often when my kids have friends over. I fill the trays with water, squeeze some red, blue and yellow in three of the compartments, and let them use pipettes (like easy eye droppers) from ...to drip the colors together in each compartment. This is an older toddler variation from the book. Great ideas for the youngest toddlers are in the book. Early Scissors - My kids loved cutting playclay worms with plastic scissors and cutting strips of paper as they mastered the use of scissors. There are lots of great tips on getting toddlers started safely with scissors. Buckets of Bubbles - My kids love to play in this stuff. It is like an outdoor bubble bath. Scribble Book - Toddlers are fascinated with books. Make tiny homemade books that are OK to scribble in. The book has lots of great variations and ideas for this simple art experience. Foil Squeeze - Foil paper is fun to make into shapes. I recently gave all my kids one sheet of foil paper on a long drive to Yosemite and the 3 year old made bowls and the 7 year olds created Half Domes. Tabletop Fingerpainting - Here's a great recipe for homemade fingerpaint to do right on you table! My toddlers were fascinated and used their fingers to make endless patterns. Color Tube - This takes a lot of time to set up, but I saw a huge version at a preschool carnival and it was such a hit. I tied lots of tubes and funnels to a board with twists and turns in the tubes. My kids and their playmates loved pouring colored water to see what would happen and what end it would stream out of. I hope you enjoy these and the other projects as much as we have and still do. One tip that would have helped me when it started out is where to get inexpensive great art materials. Ask your local daycare, preschool, or elementary school teachers for teacher supply stores near you or the teacher's catalogs they order supplies from. In my area, anyone can shop through these venues and you will find the greatest stuff. (Always buy washable markers and paints! We stained lots of toddler clothes before I decided it was cheaper to just buy the more expensive washable art materials.)
Rating:
Summary: fabulous and fun... but not for the faint of heart
Review: This book is a great resource for grownup-type people who spend a lot of time with little people. In my case, they're my own kids (18-month-old twins), but daycare providers and other early childhood professionals could also put these ideas to good use. The author provides ideas for a wide range of art experiences that help very young children develop skills and learn about the world. They're realistic suggestions in that one- and two-year-olds can have success and enjoy themselves, and the author also gives tips on sufficient preparation, art clothes, and other ways that YOU can help the child(ren) succeed. I've been able to choose what activities I'm up for on a given day based on the notations about prep time, cleanup, active vs. quieter activity, etc. That said, you HAVE to expect a mess with kids this age; it's all relative. :)
It's a major challenge of my day to keep my kids entertained (i.e. not running amok) without singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" a billion times. This book has been a helpful source of ideas and, on occasion, a reality check that helped me keep my expectations in some reasonable realm.
Great book, very useful, used fairly frequently.
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