But I know many teachers of young kids that struggle with painting. They don't want to do it or they do it reluctantly. They don't want to make a mess or to lose control.
This week we did an activity that I think these paint-shy adults would enjoy. And their kids will, too.
We drew on coffee filters with washable markers. We used just red, yellow, and orange. (These colors coordinate with our talking about fire. They are great autumn colors, too.)
Kids drew whatever designs they wanted. They used one, two, or all three colors as they chose.
When they were finished drawing, they "painted" over the drawings with water. We used watercolor brushes to better control the amount of water that was applied.
The paper towel under the coffee filter was just to catch all the "bleed through." But most kids liked those designs, too, and took them home.
One boy wondered what would happen if he put a paper towel on top. So we tried it. He took home three designs!
I don't mind a mess. But we really enjoyed this less messy "painting" activity. And watching the lines blur and spread.
We always try to remember to write our names. One thing we learned: write your name before you paint with water. The pencil won't blur and it's
Some great paintings that really were not paintings!
