Children are invited to use a variety of natural and/or homemade objects such as cotton swabs, celery stalks, leaves, forks or using fingers to paint onto paper.
MATERIALS
- Paper or paper with printed tree image
- Tempera paints or any paints
- Small plate
- Suggested objects: cotton swabs, celery stalk, fork, couple leaves or using fingers, etc.
TRY IT!
- Place a paper in front of your child.
- Squeeze out a small amount of different colored paints on a plate.
- Give your child some objects to paint: cotton swab, celery stalk, fork, leaves.
- Sit down with your child and engage them with the “Guiding Questions” below.
- Support, don’t lead. Let them decide what materials they want to use and how and when to use them.
- Keep it open-ended. Let your child explore, experiment and use their imaginations.
- Talk about the patterns and designs created by the children.
- Focus on the process, not the product.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
- How did you make this design? What object did you use?
- What do you think it will look like if we use a fork to paint?
- What shape does celery stalk remind you of?
LEARNING BEHIND THE PLAY
- Fine motor skills. Grasping objects to paint helps children develop their fine motor muscles.
- Cognitive development. Art can help children improve their observation and creativity.
- Math skills. Children can learn, create and begin to understand concepts like size, shape, counting.
TAKE IT FURTHER
You may even want to go on a nature walk with your child, collecting natural items in a small paper bag to use in a painting project when you return home.