Back to basics
Exploring paint is an important sensory activity for young children.
Maximise their experiences by providing paint of varying colour, thickness and texture.
Table-top paint choices
* Easy ready-mix paint.
* Powder paint mixed to the consistency of thick custard.
* A slippery mixture of four cups of flour, one cup of salt, two cups of water and powder paint to colour.
* A mixture of two cups of soap flakes whisked into half a cup of water and some powder paint.
* Shaving foam.
Tactile extras
* Thicken paint with cold-water paste, wallpaper paste without fungicide, plain flour or soap flakes.
* Make paint glossy and easy to remove by adding washing-up liquid.
* Make paint more tactile by adding materials such as salt, sand, oats, crumbled breakfast cereal or sawdust.
In the mix
* Invite the children to spread blobs of one colour of your chosen paint on to a washable table with their hands or fingers. This is a very messy activity so provide plenty of old shirts to cover the children's clothes and ensure that handwashing facilities are nearby.
* Talk about how the paint looks, smells and feels, introducing words such as 'slippery' and 'swirly'.
* Encourage the children to press their hands on to the paint and pull them up quickly to create a sucking sound.
* Add a contrasting colour and observe what happens as the two colours merge.
* Invite the children to choose their own colour combinations.
Tools of the trade
When the children are ready to make representative marks, provide them with appropriate resources to support their work.
* Paintbrushes should be thick, short and easy for younger fingers to hold.
Older children will enjoy the freedom of movement that longer handled brushes provide. Create variations to standard paintbrushes by supplying washing-up brushes, nailbrushes, decorator's brushes, make-up brushes or new toothbrushes.
* Transform everyday items into paint applicators. Try small pieces of towelling clipped to spring pegs, dish mops, paint rollers, straws, feathers and cotton buds.
* Supply a variety of paper of different colours, shapes and thickness. As well as commercially produced paper, try painting on the back of an old roll of wallpaper, used brown paper, corrugated card or newspapers.
* The paint should be easily accessible in shallow dishes or non-spill paint pots. Roll-on deodorants make novel paint pots. Remove the lid and roller ball, wash everything thoroughly, fill with paint, re-attach the ball and apply the paint by rolling the ball across the paper.
* Provide easels that are the correct height and ensure that the children can secure the paper themselves. Stand the easels in pairs to encourage the children to interact.
Special effects
* Spread paper across the bottom of a shallow tray and add a blob of paint.
Tilt the tray in different directions or blow the paint with a straw to make it run. Alternatively, dip a marble in thick paint and put it on to the paper before tilting the tray and watching it roll around, leaving a paint trail.
* Explore making patterns with thick cardboard combs with wide teeth.
* Spread a large sheet of paper on the ground outside and spatter paint over it. Dip a paintbrush into thin paint, hold it steady and tap it to release drops of paint. Dip a toothbrush into paint and run a finger across the surface to release a spray of fine paint. Squirt paint across the paper with a squeezy bottle.
* Add washing-up liquid to a small tub of paint and blow bubbles with a straw until they spill over the top of the tub. Drop a piece of paper on to the bubbles to create a print.
* Mix icing sugar and water to form a thick mixture, brush this over some paper and then drop ready-mixed or powdered paint on to the surface and watch the colours merge.
* Draw a picture on white paper with a candle and then paint over it with thin paint.
* Produce a marbled effect by mixing powder paint into some cooking oil and swirling the mixture on the surface of a bowl of water. Drop a sheet of paper gently on to the surface and peel it back to reveal the pattern.
* Squeeze blobs of red, yellow and black paint on to paper and cover with a layer of cling film. Press this down and then peel off to create a flame effect. Try the same technique using blue and green paint to create an undersea picture.
* Paint on windows with a mixture of powder paint and water, and observe the effects of light shining through the colours.
* Mix finely crushed chalk with water to form an outdoor paint that will easily wash off the ground. NW