Painting is a delightful activity for small children, but for many parents it is a cleanup nightmare. If you have a deck, a patio, a park or a yard you can access, try painting outdoors. Everything will wash up a lot more easily. You will also end up with a beautiful backyard!
Here are some colorful painting ideas for you and your preschooler:
Use paint with tough leaves and place the leaves on pieces of paper. This will make a big leaf print. Put a lot of leaves together and make a tree.
Place a clear plastic sheet on a fence or between two posts. Children can paint on either side of the sheet, and the paint washes off later. This is a wonderful place to fingerpaint too.
Paint rocks, logs, and stumps with tempera paint. These colourful decorations wash off over time, vivid but nonpermanent.
Put some paint in a spray bottle and mix it with equal parts of water. Take ripped sheets or pillow cases and hang them on a laundry line. Children can spray them and tie dye them.
Get large pieces of paper from places like Craigslist. Often people have ends of paper rolls from businesses and they just want to find them a good home. Roll the paper onto a slide and roll rocks, balls, and other items down it – dipped in paint, of course.
If your children are more detail-oriented, try creating using permanent paint and a very basic stencil. Place the stencil on an old t-shirt or even a placemat or a reusable bag. Put a piece of corrugated cardboard in between the layers of the shirt if you are painting a t-shirt. Tape the stencil with masking tape and have the children dab a piece of sponge in acrylic paint. Be warned, this stains! Dab the sponge on the fabric and repeat, then remove the stencil.
What painting activities have you done with your child?
(Image courtesy of nkzs at stock exchange)