I am not a fan of messes. But having a toddler in the house has really curbed my compulsion to clean obsessively – there's no way to keep on top of the chaos, so I've had to settle for things to be "somewhat tidy." Letting kids experiment with arts and crafts is good for encouraging creativity, and I find it relaxing to take a few minutes to create something, however small. Archie and I have had a few lovely colouring sessions (and one failed handprint-making craft that resulted in a rainbow-coloured boy and crumpled paper). Since he is still sampling everything he gets his hands on (I'd be curious to know what purple tastes like too), we use nontoxic art supplies. I recently found a simple homemade paint recipe: Make a batch of vanilla instant pudding (or if you're pressed for time, buy some individual pudding cups) and just add food colouring. You can do the same with plain yogurt – though I imagine the artwork wouldn't keep as long. [caption id="attachment_8503" align="aligncenter" width="350" caption="Colours appear darker when the pudding dries"] [/caption] To promote creativity, P&G brands have created It All Starts With Yes, a campaign to encourage adults to join kids in exploring, discovering and sharing life's experiences. And to help manage all the the mess that entails, the company has created the "Yes Kit," a cute tote bag filled with aprons (one for you and two pint-sized versions) and products (Tide, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Puffs facial tissue, Charmin Freshmates and Bounty paper towels), so you can clean up when you're done. [caption id="attachment_8502" align="aligncenter" width="346" caption="He thought it tasted pretty good, too!"] [/caption] So, we're having a giveaway! (Yay!) I've got Yes Kits for two lucky winners. Here's how to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post to say hello, and tell us what messy crafts you enjoy doing (with kids – or yourself, of course!).
2. Make sure you leave your name and email address, so that I can contact you if you win. (Unfortunately, we can only ship prizes within Canada, but we'd still love to hear from you if you're an international reader!)
3. Do it before 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.

I'll randomly choose and announce the winners on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. Good luck!