I tend to agree with infants/toddlers not getting a whole lot out of it. I offer my 17 mo dcg markers(she sucks the color out
), crayons(she tries to bite the ends off), and forget colored pencils(I'm sure the parent prefers that she has vision out of both eyes). At this age everything goes into their mouths. I tried playdoh a couple times with her and same thing. Same with chalk. And paint. She actually painted yesterday but, with great help from me. I had to literally pull up a chair right beside her so I could intervene. That really limits what you can do to help other dcks. So the only time I promote infant/toddler involvement is when we do Christmas crafts or other special holiday projects. Parent pleasers? Possibly. Lol But I think that depends on the parents. How many of us complain artwork ends up on the floor of the car or squashed in the bottom of backpacks?
There are better ways to help grow those fine motor skills IMO. Digging in the dirt, stacking blocks, painting with water outdoors, scooping/pouring, large bead-stringing, etc. While I try to re-introduce art to little ones to see if they're ready to enjoy it without eating it, I also don't stress out about it.
I get more serious with it around 2-2 1/2 yo. Again depending on the child.