Just in case your fridge isn’t totally covered with art work, today’s play-of-the-day that starts with a p, like A pril, for some kindergarten readiness fun and learning, is a painting activity. Kids can paint with anything: brushes, hands, feet, fingers, marbles, wheeled toys, q-tips, rollers, dabbers, and salad spinners. Paint can be practically anything too: food coloring, water paints, candies soaked in water, fruit juices, and vegetable peels. Things to put the paint on do not have to be limited to paper, either. But whatever kids use for tools and colors, there are some great ways to have fun and learn.
As children are painting, they are:
- experimenting with ways to express themselves and their creativity,
- exploring their own ideas and stretching their imaginations,
- strengthening small muscles in the fingers, hands, and arms,
- building concentration and attention skills,
- practicing making pictures on paper and in their minds (visualization),
- discovering what happens when colors are mixed together,
- learning new vocabulary such as lighter or darker, swirls, zig-zag, even, etc,
- and extending language to explain what they are doing.
One of the surprising aspects of painting that kids learn is when to stop. Too much paint and water turns all the colors muddy or worse, makes holes. But these experiences are also part of the learning. When all done, kids can help tidy up and put things away, practicing responsibility. These are only some of the early learning and readiness skills, there are certainly more. What kind of painting fun and learning activity can your child do today?