Painting at home ... not as hard as you think!

Congratulations for getting past the title...are you someone who says "I leave painting for preschool!" or  "I don't let my child paint at home"? There is nothing wrong with this.  I don't think that I ever painted at home as a young child...  

However, painting can be great fun and a way for your child to express themselves.  Some of the concerns that parents have are "my child is impulsive", "my child has poor attention", "my child will paint a few scribbles and then has had enough", "there is so much effort in setting up and clearing away", "my child doesn't like it"....  Any of these ring true for you? 

Painting at home does not need to be a daunting thing with young kids.  The key is preparation and organisation (from the grown up).  It may be "saved up" a rainy day activity or for the school holidays when there is less rushing around.

Here is a simple painting project for toddlers and preschoolers with a few tips to make it successful for you and your child. 

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What do you need?

• Art smock (or paint shirt)
• Paint
• Paint brush
• Painters palette (plastic lid or plate)
• Plastic cup with water
• Old egg carton
• Cardboard rolls 
• Messy mat for the floor/table (optional)

What do you need to do?

• Provide your child with one paintbrush and one colour at a time.  
  
• Paint one cardboard roll and then clean the brush in the water before presenting the next cardboard roll and next paint colour.  
  
• Place the cardboard roll on an old egg carton during painting and then leave it there for drying.
  

#Otlifehack: using egg cartons to support painting.

Presenting one colour and one cardboard roll at a time reduces impulsive behaviour.  It helps a child with poor attention skills to focus on the one activity.  It also helps to provide a clear "finish" point when the roll is covered in paint.  The egg carton provides some stability during painting and reduces the amount of "touching" for those with tactile defensive reactions to paint. 

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Activity suggestion
There are lots of things that you can do with the cardboard rolls once the paint has dried.  

Here is one suggestion... I attached them to the wall using masking tape. Mr 3 then used tongs to pick up pom poms to release down the "coloured tunnels".  He also used a pincer grip to match the pom poms to the painted roll.  

This is a great fine motor activity for building up hand strength as well as learning and matching colours.

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So hands up if you shudder at the thought of painting with your kids?  I hope these simple tips make it a less daunting activity to consider.  It may not be an every day activity for your household but it is possible!  Let me know if you step out of your comfort zone for this one....

#OTlifehack, #OTtips, #OTfine motor

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What's in your hand?

Pom poms and golf tees.

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