MESSY is the word that comes to our mind when we think of our toddlers indulging in art, especially at home with mommy in the summer vacations. But if you want to indulge your child in some stress-free art, then read on for some ideas.
Paint in a Bag Trick: Fill different blobs of colors in a zip-lock bag and seal it. Lay flat on the table and let the kids mix the colors around inside the bag using their fingers. They will love to do this for hours together, learn about color mixing and not create a mess. You can even stick these up on a window, and let the children mix colors as the light shines through. Then, simply throw the bags in the dustbin. But make sure, the bag is properly sealed !
Special Paint-brushes: Small children find it rather difficult to hold paintbrushes and use them effectively to paint since their motor skills are yet developing. Hence, you can make special paintbrushes using clothes-pegs and sponge pieces. Also you can use cotton balls, feathers, strings – anything that can be held by a clothes-peg easily. Kids will find working with each ‘brush’ challenging and interesting as the effects created will be different.
Ice-cube Painting: Fill an ice tray with some water with food coloring of different colors and leave overnight. Next day, let the kids paint…maybe lick away using the cubes. You can even insert toothpicks in your ice cubes after they are half-set, to make it easy for the kids to hold.
Bubble Painting: Pop! There is something so magical about bubbles that all kids love them. You need only a bubble wand, some bubble making mixture (soap and water), and food coloring. Mix different food colors into the bubble mixture in separate trays. Then use your bubble wand and create bubbles of different colors on paper. Your kids will surely get ‘blown away’ with this one.
Try these ideas out with the little ones and have a fun-filled time. Do not worry about the mess, remember that this is only for a few years. So, get the young Picassos going…!
