Warm, sunny weather gives a great opportunity to take your play outside. How about some outdoor painting? Even if you’re usually reluctant to let the kids do messy play indoors, when you’re outside you can relax a little and let them get creative.
We used a wipe-able tablecloth to give the floor some protection and used washable paint. It was too hot to get wrapped up in coveralls so we wore old clothes. The plant pots did a great job holding our big roll of parcel paper in place. We had a washing up bowl full of water and a tea towel handy – good for washing off our feet!
We experimented with big brushes, washing-up scrubbers and the rake from the sandpit.
This was an ‘open-ended’ craft session where the kids had the opportunity to use the paint their way, rather than us making anything in particular. Little especially enjoyed using her hands and feet to paint with and Big experimented with some splatter painting.
Why not try this with your children and see what they create?
Happily shared with…
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I love doing this with the children. Ikea do a great big rool of paper for 3.99 which is just perfect for it
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Looks like good old messy fun
It’s so great when the weather’s warm so you can do messy play in the garden. My four year old adores getting the paint out – but at the moment it’s more about ‘experiments’ and ‘mixutres’ than actually making any art. He loves filling the pots with different colours and mixing them up – then maybe adding leaves, stones or whatever he can find in the garden!
Hi Katie, Sounds like fun. There’ so much fun, creativity and learning involved in just mixing and experimenting.
Painting outside was a favourite acitivty at our old house .. often done in just a nappy, using hands, feet and bums as as painting tools! Nothing is more fun on a nice day
I love how open ended that was. When my son paints he likes to just do his own thing. If I try to make it structured he has no interest. Thanks for sharing!
I love this kind of play, as do my girls. I can’t wait for it to warm up here so we can do more of this kind of thing.
we love messy painting actually we love most fun messy activities … bring on some warmer weather so we can get outside and get messy
Anytime spent with paint is too fun! I love the green and blue color.
I love the open ended, experimental nature of this experience, the perfect way to create art
What lovely outdoor artistic play!
great idea. I use the plastic table clothes too, they are great as you can peg them on the clothes line and hose them off
We had a same theme last week
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[...] takes science outside. Setting up a Creation Station lets you do arts and crafts outside, such as big scale messy play. And a set of story stones helps you include language and story telling [...]