One of the things we always have in stock in our home is paint. It is so easy to keep the kids entertained with just some paint, papers and brushes. No matter the age of the child, coloring and drawing are simple activities that everyone can enjoy. To avoid messes, you can have your children color and paint outside or in your kitchen for easy clean up. There are also many easy projects your kids can create. For infants and toddlers, I would give them paper and paint for finger painting. Usually, I don’t give any instructions to my kids. I feel that painting is a creative process. I think that children should be able to draw, color, paint in a way that will encourage them to express themselves creatively. For a baby who is not yet able to hold a brush, finger painting allows the baby to use his/her fingers expressively and also helps with development of their hand-eye coordination. For a toddler, using a brush will help with their development in holding things and maneuver their hands when gripping onto objects such as a marker or a crayon. For our soon to be kindergartner, who is 5 years old, after years of coloring and painting, she is now drawing objectives that she sees or imagines.
A simple fun project you can do with your kids is making gift tags and greeting cards using paint, masking tape, paper or card stocks and scissors. With just a plain white sheet of paper, I or my daughter will tape out the shape she wants (you can really do this with kids of all ages, but depending on the image your child wants to create and the age of your child, you might or might need to assist your child with the masking tape).
In this photo, you can see that she used masking tape to create the letter “A”. Using a brush, she colored over the entire sheet of paper. Then allow the paint to dry and remove the masking tape. You will end up with image you taped over. For an infant or a young toddler who can’t hold a paint brush just yet, allow your child to either use their fingers or sponge the paint onto the paper. You will then have an art project you can either display or send off to friends and family. I do this project with DD on white card stocks to make greeting cards to use all year long. It is a cheaper and more personalized way to say “Happy Birthday” Or “Thank You” when my daughter attends birthday parties or receives gifts. You can also do this fun art project on large sheets of white paper to make your own gift wrapping paper. The possibilities are endless.
Just some paint and imagination, you and your child will be awarded with an afternoon of fun and wonderful art to show for! To make sure that your children are well protected even when they are having fun coloring, painting and drawing, be sure to use non-toxic products like Clementine Art crayons, paints and markers. My baby has a habit of putting his entire hand into his mouth. When that happens while he is finger painting, I don’t need to worry because non toxic paint is safe for everyone.