To the five and under age-set, nothing is more fun than getting super messy. Here are some ways to plan an entire day dedicated to art that will entertain your creative preschooler.
Shaving cream drawing
Plain old shaving cream is just canned soap. It cleans up easily with a rag and water. It’s also very inexpensive and a little goes a long way. Simply spray several lines of shaving cream onto your kitchen counter or table. Then let your child get their hands dirty spreading out and drawing in the cream. Your child can draw pictures, re-spread out the cream and practice writing letters. Don’t worry about the cream getting onto their clothes — it washes out easily.
Painting with condensed milk
Condensed milk paint is non-toxic, thick, drip resistant and dries to a shiny appearance. To make your colors, fill an ice cube tray with 2 tablespoons of condensed milk in each compartment. Add food coloring to the milk, use a toothpick to mix thoroughly and then get to painting. You can even use this mixture to paint light-colored sugar cookies and eat them after!
Rubber band splatter painting
Wrap several rubber bands of varying sizes around a shoebox, minus the box top. Place your art paper, cut to size, into the bottom of the shoebox. Using washable, tempera or poster paint, apply a thick coat to one rubber band at a time. Immediately flick the painted rubber band towards the paper. You and your child will be amazed at your Jackson Pollock-quality splatter painting!
Sidewalk chalk paint
Sidewalk painting can keep your little artist entertained for hours. To mix up a batch of non-toxic sidewalk paint, add 1 part cornstarch, 1 part water and a few drops of food coloring to a container until you achieve your desired color. Mix until a smooth consistency. You can use a regular watercolor paintbrush or foam craft brush to paint. This should easily clean up with a squirt from the garden hose.
Fruity dough
Sculpting with this fruit-scented dough is fun, entertaining and a great workout for little hands. To make a batch of dough, mix together 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 5 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 small packets of unsweetened Kool-Aid drink mix. Carefully add 2 cups boiling water and mix well. Use your hands to mix/knead together until your consistency reaches that of soft dough. This can be stored up to a month in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Watch: How to make gloop
Learn how to make slippery and slimy gloop in this video!
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