Keeping It Simple: Painting with Water

I plan. Materials are sourced. The stage has been set. The invitation to play has been accepted. Game on. A few short minutes after play commences, the phrase “What was I thinking?!” rambles repeatedly in my head or through my mouth, I know not because I’m consumed by the disaster of my planned activity.

Such scenarios are not rare. Somewhere along the line, I got too ambitious and concocted a play scenario that doesn’t meet my kids where they are at. My expectations crumble miserably into a gloomy heap.

I am humbly reminded yet again to keep it simple.

I’m sure painting with water is as old as time, but I first saw this over at Sassy’s Sanity. It is so easy and fun.

Materials to source: small bucket/cup; water; paint brush; outdoor pavement.

Set the stage for play: Fill the small bucket/cup with water and place a generous sized paint brush in the bucket/cup. Watch your children accept the invitation to play. Let the games begin!

You could vary the play by:

• adding glitter, food colouring or paint into the water;
• using chalk instead of a paintbrush;
• drawing with dry chalk first then painting over it with water;
• instead of painting on the pavement, paint on the fence or other surfaces in the garden.

You could extend the play by:

• incorporating letters or words to paint;
• counting items as you paint them;
• having a race to see who can paint their designated area the fastest.

Or you could, as my sons did, turn it into a water fight.

Game on!

Kids can’t help their attraction to playing in water.   Here are some more fun and educational activities with water:

• Bathtub Paint Recipe – make it thick and use it as finger paint, or you can dilute it and use it with paintbrushes
• Simple Science: Siphoning Water – move water from one container to another container without the use of pumps
• Sink or Float: An Experiment with Seltzer Water –   test different items to see if they sink or float or just have fun watching the bubbles