Fun with Finger Painting

As a former art teacher and avid painter I was definitely looking forward to the day I could share my love of painting with Aiden. Although I wanted to paint with him from day one, I knew I had to be patient and wait until he could understand what we were doing and more importantly that he shouldn't eat the paint so that he could fully appreciate the activity and explore the medium without having to be reminded every 5 seconds to not eat the paint. Well, that day came a few weeks ago when we tried finger painting for the very first time.

I have to say that I was a bit apprehensive before we started because I was nervous that he wouldn't enjoy it. But I told myself that if he didn't like finger painting it would be ok, maybe he's not ready for it yet and at least he's being exposed to something new which is most important.

So one afternoon, after nap time, I set up our creativity centre with some long sheets of newsprint paper, some cups for print making and some paper towels to clean up any spills. I put Aiden into his art shirt and spooned out some paint on the paper. I watched him examine the gloppy mixture that was sitting on top of the paper and then he dove in with both of his hands, swirling the paint around his canvas. He squelched the paint through his fingers, squealing with joy as he wiped the paint that was in his hands all over his clean art shirt. When he ran out of paint on the paper he said "More, more, more". And then he got back to it, discovering what happens when he mixes the colours together and how he can make different impressions on the paper depending on what part of his hand/body he uses.

When he was done I took his artworks and put them in the kitchen to dry.
To preserve Aiden's first painting experience he and I chose part of his mural to frame. We hung it up in the hallway and unveiled his art in his very first art show with his Dad as the guest of honor. And now, everyday, when we walk through the hallway we can admire his creative genius, which I hope will give him the confidence to use his creativity to the max in a world that sometimes doesn't appreciate a creative soul.

Here's the finger paint recipe I used:

Washable Finger Paint
1/2 cup liquid dish soap
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
Several drops of food colouring

1. Mix dish soap, flour and water in a bowl until a thick, creamy paint-like paste forms.
2. Separate mixture into 3 or 4 smaller containers. I used small IKEA plastic cups.
3. Add a different colour of food colouring to each container.
4. Cover and refrigerate until needed.


The Review
Like many things that I worry about as a Mom, I didn't need to worry as much as I did that Aiden would not enjoy this activity. He loved finger painting, yelling "More, more, more" everytime the paint ran out.

The Tips
This is obviously a messy project so be prepared for this and allow your little person to paint with wild abandon as there is nothing that a little paper towel and water won't clean up. I also plonked Aiden in the bath after the activity to clean him off as inevitably the finger paint turned into body paint.

Happy painting,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)