Messy Monday: Paintbrush Experiment

Beatrix was so interested in the paint last week that I decided we should play with paint again, this time trying out some different materials for applying the paint to the paper.

I bent a pipe cleaner into a triangle stamp, pinched a pom with a clothespin, grabbed a feather, a Q-tip, and a foam brush, and some paper. I like using cardstock, because it holds up under the paint better.

I poured some finger paint on to a paper plate for our palette. (pro-tip: use just a few colors that will look okay mixed together to avoid the muddy color look.) I got a damp cloth ready for cleaning up at the end and I zipped Bea into her jammies-turned-paint-smock.

Beatrix really seemed to enjoy using the pom the best, and she also liked the triangle stamp. I painted along with Bea and found the feather was really interesting to paint with. 

You don't need fancy supplies to explore art, just see what is hiding around your house and at the bottom of your craft/junk drawer. Older children may enjoy doing the gathering of items themselves. For the younger ones, keep it to just a few options and offer them one at a time, as to not overwhelm them. Remember, this type of art is more about the process than the end result. I keep all of these paintings of Bea's for future use as gifts/cards.

What other household items would be fun to paint with? 

Q-Tip Drop

Every time I go to the bathroom Beatrix pulls all the Q-tips out of the box in the cupboard. I decided to harness her interest and turn it into a fine-motor-skill-honing activity!

This has been such a hit and it couldn't have been easier to throw together.

Supplies:

• Cardboard (I used a cereal box)
• Mason Jar with lid
• Q-tips
• Scissors
• Utility knife
• Writing utensil (optional)

I think it is pretty self-explanatory. I traced around the outer edge of the ring part of the lid and cut out the circle. I trimmed it a little to the inside so the lid would screw on. I used a utility knife to cut a hole in the center (ish) and decorated it with some arrows pointing to the hole. I think you could potentially use a hole punch, if it was big enough. screw the lid on the jar and voila! 

I love the look of pride on her face when she gets one in! It is just difficult enough to keep her occupied for minutes on end without being so hard it frustrates her. She has asked me to take the lid off a few times - the little smarty figured out that it would be so much easier to get them in the jar that way. Work smarter not harder! She was so pleased that she was allowed to play with some Q-tips and has actually left the ones in the cupboard pretty well alone. Now instead of them being all over my bathroom, they are all over my living room, haha.

Last-minute Toddler Valentine Crafts!

In this post I will go over two quick and easy Valentine's Day crafts that are fun for toddlers. One is messy and one is not!

First up is a heart-shaped sun catcher.

Supplies needed:

• Contact paper
• Tissue paper
• Washi tape (optional)

I drew a heart on contact paper and cut some tissue paper into little squares.

Peel off the paper backing and you are good to go. Show your child how the tissue sticks to the contact paper and let them have at it!

Beatrix was not too sure about the sticky paper. But she came around and had quite a good time making this craft. We also explored the laws of gravity by watching squares of tissue paper float to the ground.

To finish it off, I lay it down on another sheet of contact paper and trimmed the excess. I wrapped washi tape to finish the edges, but that is totally optional.

Of course it wasn't too sunny of a day, but it sure looks beautiful in the window. ;)

Next up: DIY Toilet Paper Roll Heart Stamp

Supplies Needed:

• Empty toilet paper roll
• Tape
• Paint
• Paper

You will also need something to squeeze the paint on (I use a paper plate) and you may want some kind of paint smock for your child and a protective covering for your work space. Have a damp washcloth ready for easy clean up!

Here is the stamp. Basically, flatten a toilet paper tube and crease the folds. Then tuck one point inside and sort of squeeze it to make a heart shape. I used tape to keep it in the correct shape.

It doesn't have to be perfect!

I use a pair of garage-sale footie PJ's as a coverall paint smock. Just zip it right over her clothes!

I wasn't sure if Beatrix would grasp the concept of the stamp, but she actually did really well!

Of course, we painted with our hands too.

 Here is the finished product! We actually painted 3 sheets of paper before she got tired of this activity!

So there you have it! Two toddler Valentine's Day crafts that you can pull off at the last minute!

Messy Monday: Valentine's Day Sensory Rice

Why did I wait so long to try dying rice for sensory play? This was seriously one of the easiest activities I have put together. As a bonus, unless the rice gets wet or really dirty, it can be used over and over again!

All it took was some rice - I used extra long grain white rice. I bought way more than I needed for some DIY handwarmers we gave as gifts at Christmas this year, so this is just what I had on hand. You could really use whatever rice you like. I probably dyed 3 cups of rice red and 2 cups blue. I wanted a nice layer in my glass baking dish.

Just scoop the desired amount into a gallon zippy bag, add a small amount of food coloring and a splash of water, and mix up by squeezing/shaking the bag. (It took about 20 seconds to incorporate the coloring throughout the rice. I used gel food coloring and it really didn't take much at all. I used way too much with both the red and the blue.) Then I spread it out on a sheet tray to dry overnight.

This morning I carefully scooped it into the baking dish, making a heart shape in the middle!

I laid a tablecloth out on the floor for easy clean-up and gathered a few scooping/transferring/pouring utensils for us to use!

My little one-socked girl went right for the spoons!

Feeling the rice with her hands.

Bea discovered the rice falling into the glass measuring cup made a really pretty sound. She watched the rice fall out of her hand and listened to it hitting the cup for quite some time.

Really getting into it now :)

Quite proud of the mess she made!

It looks quite lovely mixed together. I love bright blue with red or pink! It is also worth noting that this will not stain hands or clothing, provided the rice is dry!

I gathered up all the rice, using the tablecloth to pour all the spilt rice into the baking dish. I put all the rice in a zippy bag and stowed it in the back of my refrigerator to be played with another day. :)

Valentine's Day Treasure Basket

Just a quick post with Bea's Valentine's day Treasure Basket

Less is best!

What's inside:

• A pink sponge
• Red and pink felt hearts
• A pink heart box
• Red and pink feathers
• Pink hair rollers
• A red pipe cleaner shaped into a heart

Everything in this basket was either from Dollar Tree or the Target Dollar Spot! The hair rollers and the sponge were from previous treasure baskets before I had this blog - I just went looking for the posts to link and then realized they didn't exist!

I have discovered Beatrix is more likely to play with the basket if it has less stuff in it. So far her favorite thing has been the feathers. We had a lot of fun letting them float down from above our heads and trying to land them in the basket!

I love doing holiday themed baskets - they are so easy to find things for! Remember, it doesn't have to be complicated!