During this week of quick tips, I continue with part 2 of our free rainy day activities series. Besides having an indoor picnic on rainy days, my children enjoy an indoor adventure with paints.
With many types of paint, we get to choose our paint, project, and then experiment and create. Making the choices becomes part of the learning process as my children develop and exercise their creativity.
Some paint types we enjoy include the following:
Paint with Water
These pages only need water. The water combines with the colors on the page to paint the pictures. These pages are great for little ones. The pictures are fully colored, and the mess is minimal.
Watercolors
Using a little water to activate the colors, my children learn to rinse their brushes between colors. We have used plain paper, coloring book pages, and watercolor paper.
Finger Paints
These are quite messy and need a larger page for lots of fun in a small amount of time. These paints are better for outdoor play, but can create a quick, fun activity on a rainy afternoon.
If used indoors, plaster newspaper all over your space, floor, and chairs. We also make sure there is a straight path to the sink since all fingers get quite messy.
Acrylic Paints
These paints are fantastic for all the projects we build at Lowe’s and The Home Depot. Upon getting a special project, we choose to paint it to protect the wood and preserve the project for years to come.
When we use these paints, I place a little paint on a paper plate. As each child finishes his first color, he cleans the brush. Then I place a little dab of another color on the same paper plate.
After completing our projects, we rinse out our brushes, dump the water, dry off the brushes, and toss the newspaper, paper plates, and paper towels in the trash.
Paint by Numbers
Though my children have a couple of these projects, we have not tried painting them yet. At this time, I cannot sit and help one child while the other two paint on their own. All three need constant attention, and the paint by numbers projects wait for an individual activity.
As the colors change outside on rainy days, grab paper or canvas and paints to create masterpieces. With a few supplies (newspaper, cups, water, paintbrushes, paper plates, and paper towels), your family can enjoy a free rainy day activity filled with lots of colors. Happy creating!
Question: What painting activities do your children enjoy?