“Painting is a way for children to do many important things: convey ideas, express emotion, use their senses, explore colour, explore process and outcomes and create aesthetically pleasing works and experiences.” ~ Penn State University
The “Process” approach to painting allows an open-ended way for children to discover while creating their masterpiece. The focus is on the “journey” and not necessarily the “destination”. We have included many items in this kit for your child to explore with paint. Examples you could use: feathers, Q-tips, straws, stickers, paper doilies, tape, straws, bubbles, toy vehicles, leaves, sticks and the list could go on, use your imagination. Please do not feel like you need to use everything at the same time. Try giving your child one or two to start and talk about the differences.
• What happens when you combine colours?
• What can you use to make a thin or thick line?
• What shape does ‘this’ make?
Art projects can open up a world of different conversations while you and your child are discovering. We hope you and your child enjoy this activity and time together.
Here are a few ideas for developing and using the ideas in this kit:
Try wrapping rubber bands or yarn around a paper towel or bathroom tube. Roll the tube along to create different patterns.
Try creating a new colour!
Use different objects such as feathers, sponges, yarn, or cotton swabs as paint brushes.
Drop blobs of paint on your page with a pipette and blow on it with a straw. Or water down the paint and add drops to a coffee filter and watch the color spread.
Roll a toy car through paint and make tracks on your paper.
Place stickers or tape on the page, paint over them, and then remove the stickers.
Add bubbles to your paint, mix it up and blow into it with a straw. Transfer the bubbles onto a paper and watch them pop!
Use the sunscreen to paint on the black paper. Find a sunny spot outside where your paper won’t get wet. Wait a day or two and check what happens? Why do you think that happened?
If the thought of painting makes your heart skip a beat (don’t worry, we’ve all been there), here are a few ideas to keep it clean(ish)…
Keep a bowl of water and a cloth handy for quick handwashing. You could also try painting IN the bathtub! When they’re done, remove the paper and paint, and wash up!
Try squirting a bit of paint into a Ziplock bag, seal it up and tape it to the table or floor. Your child can draw images into the paint with a finger or soft object, wipe away and draw again! You could also try this for sensory tummy time with baby! Just make sure that bag is well sealed and taped down, and as always your child is closely supervised.