Everything we do with our children counts and makes a difference whether we can see it now or possibly in a years’ time, everything counts! The best part of it is that they get to play…WITH YOU and have fun, learning colours is second to that.
Water soluble and kid friendly, the Little Brian Paint Sticks contain solid colourful paint that you literally twist up and down, exactly like a glue stick! So, there is no need for water (that always gets dirty!) or brushes (that you only have to clean afterwards!). Available in packs of either six or 12 different colours, these super silky paints use strong vibrant colours.
Check out these colour friendly messy play activities that we like!
Tinfoil Painting
Here’s one of our favourite simple art ideas – painting on foil, which is lots of fun, great for sensory play and creates gorgeous collaborative art.
Lay out your roll of foil on the table, fastening it in place with a little sticky tape at the corners. Then it’s all-join-in time. The foil is an interesting surface to paint on – quite different to paper, which is most likely what your children are used to. The foil is very smooth, so the paint glides, and sits on the surface rather than being absorbed as with paper. The shiny surface adds an extra sensory element, and it makes a noise as you paint on it too.
Laid out on the table, the foil can be a canvas for a big collaborative piece, with everyone painting their own section, or overlapping across the foil, layering the paint and colours as you go.
Leaf Painting and Printing
We’ll start with the classic form of leaf painting by using your leaf as a print. Leaf printing is where you apply some paint to the back of the leaf and press onto your paper.
- On your next trip outdoors, collect a variety of leaves.
- Hold a leaf by its stem and using your Paint Stick, paint on one side only.
- Then lay the leaf (paint side down) on a sheet of paper. Cover the leaf with a sheet of old newspaper and gently rub, then remove the newspaper and leaf to reveal the leaf print!
Using different leaves will create an interesting collage of leaf prints.
Pebble or Shell Painting
Like any art activity, painting pebbles with your kids might get messy, but that’s not a problem if you’ve got Paint Sticks in your collection – they are great for painting on smaller items like pebbles and shells. Painting pebbles and shells is a fun and memorable way to finish up a day trip to the beach, a riverside walk, or a woodland scavenger hunt. Your children will enjoy collecting a small bucket or tub full of treasures to keep or transform into their own masterpieces.
- Simply decide what you’re going to use the finished stone for, then paint the stone with your design.
- Allow the paint to dry and then cover it with a protective layer of clear nail varnish; this will also give your stone a nice shiny finish.
- Once this is dry, your painted stone is complete!
What’s your favourite arts and crafts activity to do with the kids? Let us know by commenting below!
