Kitchen Tools and Puffy Painting

Kitchen Tool Painting

 I find that some families hesitate to paint with their children because it tends to be messy.  Yes, it does.  But painting has so many benefits and there are things you can do to help keep the "mess" down.

Plan and Set Up

*  An old plastic table cloth that covers the WHOLE table vs. just where they are painting.  Paint splatters.  :-)

*  If your paint doesn't wash up well (even some washable paints don't wash out very well...especially anything with a red pigment)-then add dish soap to the paint.

* Plan that your child may wish to do more than one painting.  So have extra paper and paint available within arm's reach.  Why?  The most mess happens when you walk away to get something from the other room.  :-)  Better to be over prepared and able to supervise the painting experience.

*  In the picture, you can't see paint shirts but you bet that I use them!  They were on the back of the chairs as that's our routine, so the children can put them on before climbing up in their chair.  I like the plastic heavy duty velcro paint shirts (www.discountschoolsupply.com).  I tend to keep a clothespin clipped to the bottom so that I can clip the neck of the shirt so it's snug and covering all their clothes vs. hanging down and leaving their shirt exposed.  But an old shirt a couple sizes big or even an old adult shirt works just as well!

Microwave Puffy Paint Explorations

inspired by Pinterest

 

Recipe

(enough to fill two Styrofoam bowls about halfway)

1/2 C. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

Mix above ingredients together and add water enough to make a paste.

food coloring (added to individual bowls)

Our take:

*  Neat!  Pancake Puffy Painting!  :-) Yes...smells, feels and looks like pancakes!

*  Process art- I wouldn't recommend keeping these around for long.  Might call some critters!

*  Use food coloring liberally to make bold colors.

*  The thicker the paint is put on background, the higher it puffs.

*  20 seconds on average in microwave.

*  We started with q tips and moved to baby spoons.  The baby spoons were just about perfect!  Consider adding toothpicks to swirl.

*  Will we do again?  You bet!