Young kids have such fantastic creative energy! Putting together some of their favorite things to create art is thrilling for them. In this case it's water guns, painting, playing outside and making a giant mess! My toddler and I set out do some kid-friendly spray painting. And he loved it!
Materials Needed:
- Squirt Guns or Spray Bottles
- Heavy Paper or Poster Board
- Paint - at least 2 colors
- Easel (or other place to tack or pin up the paper)
Put the Paint in the Water Guns / Spray Bottles: We used acrylic paints and small water guns--because that's what the store had available. (Suggestion: use a spray bottle or a squirt gun that has a large opening to make the set up process much easier.) If you're using a thick paint like we did, test the gun beforehand, you'll probably need to add some water and shake up the mixture.
Let your child pick the colors. This is a great opportunity to talk about colors--favorite colors, bright colors, warm colors, muted colors, primary colors, complementary colors, etc.
Set Up Outside: Spray painting with water guns is definitely an outdoor activity! Find a place outside, and be prepared to get a little messy--especially if you're working with young kids. I covered my toddler's easel with gift wrap tissue paper to make clean up easier.
Don't have an easel? Pin a thick piece of paper or poster board to a tree or a piece of wood.
Point and Shoot! Then switch colors and keep at it. Have the "painter" stand close up then far away or at different angles for even more fun.
Tips:
- Know when to stop. Too much paint will make the paper soggy and tough to dry.
- Be careful of colors that mix together to make other colors, such as yellow and blue make green. You can patiently to wait for your first color(s) to dry before adding more.
Turn to Dry: When we were done, it looked like brightly colored sludge sliding down the page. Turn the page and pin it back to let the paint move in a different direction as it dries.
When you're done, you've got fun, abstract art you can frame for your office or home. This kind of creative play sparks imagination and helps kids to think about things in new and different ways. And the color combinations are almost endless.
The pride on their little faces is totally worth the minimal effort!
Let us know if you try it too. We'd love to see the results!