Whenever my kids ask to paint, I think, "Ugh. Do we have to?" It always seems like it's so messy and cleanup takes so long. But as I discovered with my 2yr old yesterday, it doesn't have to be messy and cleanup can be quick.J, my toddler, asked to paint. I bit my lip and agreed. I got out his craft apron, one piece of construction paper, my old paint palette, a brush, and my favorite kid paints:
(Note the word "washable" clearly marked on the front of the package. This is key.)Since J is two, I knew he wouldn't care how many colors I poured out for him, so I just gave him tiny blobs of a few colors. He painted for 10 minutes, only got one splotch on the table (which wiped right up), and gleefully proclaimed, "I'm done!" after just one painting. That was it.
I suppose I'm used to my daughter painting. She requires several sheets of paper, every color in the box, a few different sizes of paintbrushes, and a drop cloth to catch all her splatters. It's quite a production.
At any rate, this was a super fun activity for J and me. He learned to identify a new color, and even recognized the "Q" he happened to make. (That's it, in red, under the blue and purple splotches.) Fun, easy, educational. Can't get much better than that.
I suppose I'm used to my daughter painting. She requires several sheets of paper, every color in the box, a few different sizes of paintbrushes, and a drop cloth to catch all her splatters. It's quite a production.
At any rate, this was a super fun activity for J and me. He learned to identify a new color, and even recognized the "Q" he happened to make. (That's it, in red, under the blue and purple splotches.) Fun, easy, educational. Can't get much better than that.
