What are some fun easy crafts to do with my 2.5 year old?

Temporary tattoos! Cut out a simple shape from tissue paper (leftovers from inside gift bags are great for this) in a bright color. Use a heart, a triangle, square, etc. Get the back of your daughter's hand wet and place the cut-out shape on it. Count together to 5 (to 10 if she's fast) and then carefully remove the paper. Voila! One simple and fun tattoo. The birds are out now, and probably very hungry. You can cut big holes out of the sides of a 2-litre pop bottle and make a bird feeder out of it. Be sure to start the holes about 2" up from the bottom, so the birds can eat from the bottom without falling in. Cut smaller holes near the top and run a pretty ribbon through them to hang the feeder from a tree or or a nail. Fill with birdseed and watch the fun.

I got this idea once off of Nickjr a long time ago when my son was about three. Take your daughter on a "nature walk" (could just be in your back yard) and collect leaves, grass blades, flower petals, etc. that can be made flat (no rocks, bark, etc.). Take some old crayons of colors you like and make shavings by sharpening them and put them in a bowl. Then place a piece of waxed paper the size of a placemat (waxed side up) on your ironing board, have your daughter decorate it with the things she collected from outside and sprinkle all around with the crayon shavings, then place another piece of waxed paper (same size, but wax side down) on top and iron it together. The wax will seal it together and the crayon shavings will melt making cool patterns. Then, ta-da! You've just made a fun placemat!

you two could make a dream catcher

My kids love this one: Get three glasses and mix some water and food coloring; red, yellow, blue. Give your child three medicine droppers (the kind you get for free with your prescription at the drug store, with the little rubber squeezy thing on top) Let him/her mix the colors together in a white ice cube tray. (You can see the colors better on white) This isn't so much of a "craft" as in having a thing to show for it at the end, but my boys can do it ENDLESSLY and the shouts of "I made green!" "I made orange!" are really cute.

When my oldest of 3 was the "only child", we made things together often. One thing she enjoyed was 'shellacing' some small square pieces of material to a flower pot, planting seeds, and watching it grow. (Also a great Mothers Day gift for grandma!) Read her a story about a bunny, a lamb, or a cloud, then let her glue cotton balls onto a page where you have already drawn that shape. String uncooked pasta onto a piece of yarn for a necklace. For an extra-special effect, let her paint them first! Wear matching sets with pride. Use empty soda bottles for the pins, and a bouncy ball to play a quick game of bowling. Have fun, take pictures, and enjoy your time together now! But know that you will also have new special times with baby brother, too!

finger painting. make sure to put something on floor in case of spills.

Cutting and pasting, gluing, coloring, collages and pasting and finger paints are all fun for the little ones.