Babyternals

I recently did this activity with a group of older two year olds and young three year olds. It really went well so I am recommending it for parents or other adults to try with their children.

Materials:

construction paper (any color); paint (color of your choice, just make sure it will show up on construction paper you choose); cotton balls (1 per child); a paper plate to put paint on

Procedure:

First, you want to decide whether or not you want to do one child at a time or a group of children. I decided to do one child at a time because of their age and they had never done this before. After you decide that, give the child a piece of construction paper. Then, give them the cotton ball and let them dip it in the paint (keep in mind if you provide a lot of paint the child(ren) will take a lot of paint so put just enough for each child). Tell them they can rub the cotton ball across their paper or they can pat or dab their paper, let them decide what their picture will look like. Allow each child a couple of minutes to do their picture, if they keep rubbing their paper where the paint is they are liable to rub a whole in it. After each child has completed their picture have them throw away their cotton ball. Set the pictures aside to allow to dry.

This activity not only is good for motor development but it allows the children to see how an every day product, like cotton balls, can be used in a very different way. Also, they are able to decide for themselves how to do their picture. They can compare and contrast the difference in rubbing the cotton ball against the paper versus patting it on the paper. This is an inexpensive activity and the children love it because, “it’s painting”.