Once again we're at our favourite activity, painting. Today it's painting with Q-Tips (cotton buds) and I've included a Printable 1-10 Number Template if you'd like to include some number learning.

Ages: 2-6+

(M was 3.5 here. See the bottom of the post  for details to simplify or extend for younger or older children)

Materials: Paints, Q-tips (cotton buds), Paper and a copy of THIS number template if you'd like to include extra learning.

Click HERE to download a copy of this basic 1-10 Number Template

With your child, identify and count each of the written numbers. 

Have your child place the corresponding amount of dots in each square.

Encourage your child to use whatever colours they like but ensure that each time they change colours, they re-count the dots they've already done and then count-on from there to add the remaining dots.

(eg. 1, 2, 3, 4 blue dots... So, you have 4..., 5, 6, 7, 8 yellow dots)

Using just 2 colours can be good as it allows your child to see 2 different amounts of dots making one total amount. (Eg. 4 blue dots and 4 yellow dots make 8 dots. So 4 and 4 is 8. Try other combinations, 3 & 5, 2 & 6 etc.)

Maddie really enjoyed this. For her, it's not about learning, it's about having fun, being challenged and achieving things

Time to get creative with some free painting

Use different Q-tips for colour mixing

Look at and discuss the different shapes and textures achieved by painting with a Q-tip

Try creating simple dot pictures

This entire picture had a running dialogue. From animals walking around to waterholes and jungles (Can't you tell?). Story telling through painting can be so therapeutic.

Try painting with multiple Q-tips at the same time

Look at the patterns and colours.

This would be cool for making your own wrapping paper or crafting paper

Handy Tips:

- Simplify this activity by simply allowing free painting with the Q-tips. For some basic number recognition, counting and one-to-one correspondence, try focusing on 1 number at a time

- Extend this activity by challenging your child to find as many different colour combinations as they can for the same number. (eg, how many different ways can you make 8 dots using 2 colours, 3 colours, 4 colours etc.)

- Mix it up by making a garden picture and having each of the petals done with a q-tip. Each flower could have a different number of petals for the child to count and paint.


- Remember that sometimes children just create, they don't need it to be a specific item at the end. It could just be an abstract creation. Allow this and don't push them to think they must paint something "real."


- Talk with your child about what they are doing. This will help them understand the physical and mental processes they are going through as well as giving them the vocabulary to describe it.

- Listen to your child talk as they go through their experiences. This will help you determine where they are at with their learning, knowledge and understanding and help you to develop the activity (or future activities) to their level and interests.





Happy playing and learning,
Debs :)

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Painting is fun. Experimenting with different materials to paint with is even more fun. This time, we gave Shower Sponge Painting a go.

I confess that I have never once bought a shower sponge/loofa/shower puff thinggy (what ever you call them!), and yet we seem to have a lot of them! They often come in bath type gift packs so over the years, I've collected quite a few. Today I dug out a spare one, provided some paper and paint and let her at it!

We used a large piece of paper, a shower sponge and some recycled plastic lids with 4 different coloured paints chosen by Madeline

She was very curious to see how the paint was sticking to the shower sponge

The dark purple and the white paint made light purple. She enjoyed the "splotchy" effect created by the sponge.

Mixing and swirling the paint with the sponge was probably her favourite part of the activity

One single print contained blue, red and the colours together which made purple. The bubbles were something new though. We talked about what might have caused there to be bubbles.

She also thought to paint with the cord. I love how kids explore materials to their full potential

She discovered the large surface was perfect for swishing across the paper

And once she'd started, she insisted the paper was turned around so she could cover the entire surface

Handy Tips:

-Simplify this activity by just allowing your child to experiment and explore the sponge and the effects created with the paint on the paper. Let them choose their favourite colours.

- Extend this activity by putting a greater emphasis on colour mixing, patterns and textures. Try using a few different type sponges to see what different effects can be created

- Use new language and descriptive words like, "splotchy," "swirly." This will help with their language development.

-Ask questions to help connect their understanding and use vocabulary to give them words to describe what they're creating, eg. "In one swipe across you can see blue, red and purple. Why do you think that is?" "I wonder why there are little bubbles there?" "Can you make the bubbles appear again?" etc

- Remember that children need to create and explore, they don't need it to be a specific item at the end. Allow this and don't push them to think they must paint something "real." Certainly with an activity such as this, the process is more important then the outcome.

- The finished artwork could be used as gift wrap once dry


Debs :)

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Another way we like to paint is with different painting tools on the same picture. It can create a lovely effect while also engaging your child cognitively as they switch between processes.

For this activity I provided a large sheet of paper, a variety of different types of paint (Some on a sponge for printing) and some various painting tools (4 Different brush types of varying thicknesses and some textured stamps..psst: This set was purchased from Mothercare)

Decisions, decisions...

 Using focus and concentration while exploring the different marks each different brush or stamp makes

 As she picked up each tool (of course she wanted to use each and every one in her design) I can see how she is handling and holding each one and gently show her another way to hold the brush. Teaching her the different control you can get over each tool depending on how it's handled.

 The work in progress

Handy tips:

- Use new language and descriptive words like, "textures" and "implements." This will help with their language development.

-Ask questions to help connect their understanding and use vocabulary to give them words to describe what they're creating, eg. "Why did you choose to use that tool first?", "Which is the next tool you are going to choose?", "Did the pattern show up well using the glitter paint? Why/why not?"

- Listen to your child talk as they go through their experiences. This will help you determine where they are at with their learning, knowledge and understanding and help you to develop the activity (or future activities) to their level and interests.

- This activity can be repeated time and time again with a different end result each time. Mix around and change some of the materials that you provide each time to inspire new ideas

- Use this time to demonstrate particular skills to them that they might be attempting unsuccessfully. For example, how or where they are gripping the paintbrush. How they can avoid big drips of paint on their page etc.


Debs :)

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The majority of the art and drawing projects we do here are very free form and non-restrictive and it's not very often that we use things like colouring-in pages. When we do (because I believe children benefit from exposure to all different styles), my daughter will generally just scribble or free-form all over the page anyway, regardless of the lines.

To help practice those fine motor skills, this activity was designed so that the only real intention, or outcome, that I was looking for was for her to practice working within tight confines. Staying in the lines!

As children work toward developing those early literacy skills and start to move towards writing letters and words, working with some order and within some confines can be very helpful in developing the fine motor skills that they will require in order to be able to write.

 On a long piece of paper I drew a very simple flower garden with thick, black permanent marker

 I provided a fine paintbrush and some glitter glue/paint along with the instructions that we were only working inside the lines today

 I chose the glitter glue/paint as it is see-through so that you could always see the lines even when the paint was on them

She enjoyed this activity and it kept her concentrating and focused for quite some time

Handy tips:

- I used a garden so that it could have lots of tight lines and small spaces to work within but obviously you could draw anything that would take your child's fancy

- Extend this activity by letting your child draw the design first and then paint within it's confines

- Simplify this activity by drawing larger spaces for your child to work within

- Repeat this activity with different designs etc and using different sizes of brushes and different paints etc

- Stay near your child while they do this so you can give them gentle reminders about their purpose

Happy playing,

Debs :)

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Here is another way to paint that has produced some great results at our house.

Using 3 different coloured pieces of paper or cardboard stuck together, your child can create some art that flows differently to having one background while practicing their fine motor skills, colour recognition, creativity, cognitive development and more





(Although unintentional, to me this picture looks like a man wearing a hat looking up at an angry cloud where a storm is brewing and above that layer are all the clouds in space... but that's just me lol)

 

Having the 3 colours on the background means that different coloured paints show up differently on each panel and can change how your child approaches the painting.

After setting up the 3 panels you can give your child any painting implements you like. Mix it up to get different results each time. I provided a fine paintbrush, 4 different colours and a few textured stampers and left the rest up to her.

I noticed that it took her quite some time to cross over from one panel to the next. It was almost as if she were doing 3 separate painting on each one.

Some tips:

- After turning the painting vertically, I realised that the 3 panels looked like (or could be) the earth, the sky and space. Next time we do this activity I will have her paint on it vertically instead of horizontally to see if it makes a difference.

- To extend this activity, introduce your child to the idea of the 3 layers being the earth, the sky and outer space and see how they interpret their ideas then.

- This activity can be repeated time and time again with a different end result each time. Mix around and change some of the materials that you provide each time to inspire new ideas

-Ask questions to help connect their understanding and use vocabulary to give them words to describe what they're creating, eg. "Which colour paint shows up best on the black background?" "Why do you think that is?" "I like how you're swirling those colours together. It is creating an interesting effect" etc

- Remember that sometimes children just create, they don't need it to be a specific item at the end. It could just be an abstract creation. Allow this and don't push them to think they must make something "real."


Debs :)



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What better way to learn about colours then to make them yourself?

Here I provided 2 Primary colours (red and blue) and a shade (white) along with a small canvas and said, "Go for it!"

 Squeezing out paint requires a lot of concentration. We're practicing our hand-eye coordination at the moment. "It's coming out squiggly, Mummy" Also developing language.

 No better way to mix paints than with your hands. A tactile experience, and did we mention, fun!

 "My hands are purple like my canvas"

 "Some bits are blue, some bits are red and some bits are purple. I can't see any white!"

How to remove some of the excess paint off our hands? Purple hand printing!

Some tips:

- Simplify this activity by only providing 2 Primary Colours and leave the shade out

- Extend this activity by providing all 3 Primary Colours and have your child experiment till they make the chosen colour (eg, Purple)

- Ask questions to help connect their understanding eg. "How did you make purple?" "Which colours did you start with? What did the white do? etc

- Listen to your child talk as they go through their experiences. This will help you determine where they are at with their learning, knowledge and understanding and help you to develop the activity (or future activities) to their level and interests.


Debs :)

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