"Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it" - Danny Kaye
Have your chldren been painting a lot this past winter? It is such a fun and creative way to add color to cold dreary days. I look forward to using Painting witht Children, to enhance our experience of painting throughout the spring.
I delight in watching the boys as they paint with wotercolors, wondering what they are thinking/feeling as the colors blend together, as well as the paintings themselves. We hang them on the walls and they brighten our days, but we only need so many paintings throughout the house, so as they accumulate, I transform them into gifts and decorations.
In a couple of weeks, my sons will receive a watercolor card set in their Easter baskets. The 6 year old will receive number cards and they 3 year old will receive letter cards. They are bright and cheery and fun to make from solod color paintings.
Start with several sheets of watercolor painted pages, using 140 lb watercolor paper, painted front and back.
Cut the paper in 3"x4" cards. Then using colored pencil write capital letters on one side and lower case on the other. These are great for younger children learning to spell. (You can make 12 cards per page.)
Have your chldren been painting a lot this past winter? It is such a fun and creative way to add color to cold dreary days. I look forward to using Painting witht Children, to enhance our experience of painting throughout the spring.
I delight in watching the boys as they paint with wotercolors, wondering what they are thinking/feeling as the colors blend together, as well as the paintings themselves. We hang them on the walls and they brighten our days, but we only need so many paintings throughout the house, so as they accumulate, I transform them into gifts and decorations.
In a couple of weeks, my sons will receive a watercolor card set in their Easter baskets. The 6 year old will receive number cards and they 3 year old will receive letter cards. They are bright and cheery and fun to make from solod color paintings.
Start with several sheets of watercolor painted pages, using 140 lb watercolor paper, painted front and back.
Cut the paper in 3"x4" cards. Then using colored pencil write capital letters on one side and lower case on the other. These are great for younger children learning to spell. (You can make 12 cards per page.)
I also used the cards to make math cards, drawing plants or animals to correspond to the number.
The numbers include:
1 sun
2 mushrooms
3 trees
4 fish
5 trees
6 dragonflies
7 shamrocks
8 birds
9 stars
Another fun way to use watercolor paintings is to make a birthday countdown chain. It works especially well with paintings using several colors.
To make it, cut ten 1"x9" strips and a 4"x3" card.
Loop the strips through eachother to make a chain, looping the top chain through the card.
Beginning 10 days before the birthday, cut a strip each day until the big day comes :)
Other ideas for transforming works of art include:
Tree of Thanksgiving
name place cards for dinner parties
love notes scattered around the house for family to find
bookmarks
birthday / thankyou cards
