Sometimes the simplest craft ideas for kids are the best. Just a few materials and a big imagination is all they need to create a masterpiece!
You will need:
– paper
– paints
– pens/pencils
COST: pennies
AGE: babies through to older kids / adults
TIME: 10 minutes +
These pictures say it all really – my little ones love getting messy with paper, paints and pens (Chops likes to eat them too)! They don’t need to create anything in particular – they just love the process: painting, drawing & exploring the way that the paint moves on the paper and the way the paper scrunches and tears and gets soggy and floppy. In short, they love to make a mess. I don’t love mess, but I do love to watch them enjoy themselves. In these photos Pickle had a car money box that he had been given for his birthday to paint – he wanted to use ALL the colours and enjoyed mixing them to make new ones!
They are fearless and I find that so inspiring. They don’t want the finished ‘picture’ to look a certain way, or get upset when it doesn’t. It makes me want to get involved too and lose my own fear of ‘messing it up’!
Gorgeous pictures 🙂 I used to be one of those mums who was happy to leave painting (ok, the mess) to the childminder but when my son stopped going and I realised how much he loves it I figured we had to do some at home! Sit on a PVC mat, shower him afterwards and invest in paints which only ruin his clothes a bit ;o) I love watching kids get creative now 🙂
Thanks so much Kate! You are absolutely right – wipe clean mat is an essential (or paint outdoors)! 😉
At the children’s centre I go to they mix all the paint with a little bit of washing up liquid which seems to really help it come off the clothes.
Top tip, thanks Theresa! I’ve heard that makes the paint more glossy too..? 🙂
Love it!! This is so great, Gude! I love how kids have no barriers, nothing in their minds from previous experiences that normally hinder us from being our ultimate self. They just simply create. It’s so awesome you get to experience this with them, doesn’t it help to break down some of your barriers, too?
Exactly Jessica!! If only we could keep this attitude and confidence as we grow up… It definitely motivates me to experiment more and if I’m ever intimidated by a blank page, I just let the boys make a start for me… 😉