November, 2004

Let’s Paint!

Painting is a great activity to do with kids. It’s easy to set up and materials are readily available. You can buy paper and poster board in all sizes and colors. But purchased paper can be expensive. Save your money and use recyclable materials like newspapers, cereal boxes (use the un-printed surface inside), large cardboard boxes, wallpaper scraps, tissue paper or cloth.

If you are purchasing paint for children, we’d suggest washable, liquid tempera paints. You can also make your own paint using equal parts of water and flour with a couple of drops of food coloring. I like homemade paint because then I can throw out the unused portion.

Developmentally: In preschool children, the process of painting helps strengthen all areas of development… small motor skills, hand-eye coordination, imagination, language, problem solving, etc. Toddlers also benefit because painting is such a sensory experience. Remember that infants and toddlers are especially geared to learn through their senses. Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development suggests that this first stage, (Sensorimotor) primarily involves infants exploring their world using their senses and movement skills.

When you do a painting activity with young children (ages 1 1/2 -6), it is really important to remember that it doesn’t matter how the finished product looks. It’s more important to focus on what the children have learned from the experience. You can continue to facilitate learning by changing either the paint or the materials used to paint with. Here’s some ideas:

  • Make snowy foam paint by mixing equal parts of shaving cream and glue into a bowl. Let set for two minutes before using.
  • Make fruity finger paints by mixing two cups of flour with two envelopes of unsweetened drink mix and ½ cup salt. Stir in three cups hot water and three tablespoons of cooking oil.
  • Mix one-fourth cup liquid baby bath with one tablespoon of cornstarch until blended. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring, then pour the mixture into a plastic ice cube tray. This mixture is great for finger painting because it cleans away easily.
  • Mix one-fourth cup whipped cream and food coloring together in a small bowl. Repeat this step to create various different colors of paint.
  • Milky Way Paint
    Mix one-half cup powder nonfat milk, ½ cup water and food coloring together in a small bowl. Repeat several times to create different colors of Milky Way Paint.
  • Glitter Paint
    Mix one-fourth cup corn syrup and food coloring together in a small container. Slowly stir in glitter to avoid clumping. Use with a brush for best results.
  • Salty Paint
    Pour 2 tablespoons of salt and ½ tablespoon of powder tempera paint into a ziploc bag and shake. Repeat the above process to create Salty Paint in different colors. The children use glue to “paint a picture” then the salty paint is sprinkled on top of the glue.
  • Crystal Paint
    Mix equal parts of liquid starch and water together in a small bowl. Stir in food coloring.

When children are painting they can use many different things besides paint brushes. Collect items like plastic combs, straws, twigs, shaving brushes, crumbled newspaper, corrugated cardboard, bubble wrap, etc. and allow the children to use these instead. All children love to finger paint (the smell and feel of the paint is great for sensory exploration) but you can also allow children to toe, elbow or nose paint.

Inexpensive brushes called “chips” can be purchased at a paint store or you can make sponge brushes by attaching small pieces of sponge to a clothespin with a rubber band.

Color Mixing is a great activity for children who are learning about colors. They get the opportunity to see the change happen before their eyes.

What colors can you make?

  • Red and yellow make ORANGE
  • Blue and yellow make GREEN
  • Red and blue make PURPLE
  • Red and green makes BROWN
  • PASTELS are made by adding a drop of any colored paint to white paint
  • SKIN TONES can be made by mixing Red, Yellow and Blue or Red, Yellow and White

Dip a toothbrush into some watered-down paint. Run a handle along the bristles to splatter the paint onto the paper.

Crumple a piece of newspaper into a ball. Dab into paint and print onto paper. Use other balls of crumpled paper to add more colors.

Paint Prints
Tree of Life Print - This is a finger painting activity using a large piece of paper. To make the trunk and branches of the tree, paint the child’s hand and forearm brown and print at the bottom of the page. Children then use their fingertips and thumbprints to make “leaves” to decorate the tree.

Indian Corn Print – This is a finger painting activity using a large piece of paper, glue and dried corn husks (from local gardeners or farmers or purchased in a craft store). Allow the children to “decorate” paper with their thumbprints – using orange, yellow and blue paint. Don’t worry if the print colors mix together. When the paper dries, cut into shape resembling an ear of corn, then glue on corn husks.

Thummies – This is a finger painting activity using paper, pens and your imagination. Pour a small amount of paint into a jar lid or onto a styrofoam plate. The kids can make thumbprints onto a piece of paper then, using pens, crayons or pencils, add details to create animals, flowers or people. You may need to give the children some suggestions first. This is a fun idea especially for older children.

Draw with Glue
Ask the children to use glue to “draw” onto a piece of paper. Let dry overnight. The next day allow the children to color their “picture” with wax or oil-based crayons. Then paint all over the surface of the cardboard. Then lay a sheet of tissue paper over the cardboard and smooth down with your hands. Carefully peel back. This process can be repeated by repainting the cardboard and using more tissue paper. When the kids have made all the prints they want, use a damp cloth to wipe most of the paint off the cardboard.

3-D Popcorn Paint
You’ll need one cup popped corn, two tablespoons of water, 5-7 drops of food coloring glue and a large plastic zip bag. Pour the popcorn into the zip bag. Mix the food coloring and water together before adding the mixture to the popcorn. Seal the bag and shake it until the popcorn changes color. Pour the popcorn out on a paper towel to dry. The children can use the popcorn paint by gluing it onto their picture.

Kookie Cookie Paint
You’ll need to mix 1 beaten egg yolk and food coloring together in a small bowl. Repeat this process several times to create different colors of Kookie Cookie Paint. Roll cookie dough (store bought works best) out on wax paper and cut with assorted shapes and sizes of cookie cutters. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Using the Kookie Cookie Paint and paint brushes, children can paint the cookies before baking.

Bubble Art
Mix equal parts of soap and water into small styrofoam cups. Repeat this process several times to create different colors. Add a couple of drops of liquid tempera paint to the mixture. Give the children straws to blow into the paint mixture. This causes the bubbles to froth up. Have the children gently place a piece of paper onto the bubbles, forcing the bubbles to pop.

Squashed Paint Picture
Have the children fold a sheet of paper in half, then re-open it. Using a spoon or popsicle stick, allow the children to dribble paint onto the paper. Then carefully re-fold the paper and smooth out. Open it up to reveal the picture.

Thank you to Lisa Albert from the EPTSS Division for this month's activity!

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