Stupid Question Re: Fingerpainting
Um...how do you do it?
Okay, okay, beyond stick fingers in paint, then on paper. I know that part! :lol: But, do you put the paint in cups and have paper towels for them to wipe their fingers between colors? Let the colors get mixed? Squirt paint directly onto the paper, or onto a separate paper plate? Have a cup of water for them to rinse their hands? Or do they usually not care about every page turning into a brown mucky puddle? I honestly can't remember *how* I fingerpainted as a child even though I remember doing it...and my mom is a little bit unavailable for asking (and I think I asked her before anyway and she couldn't remember either) |
It's about the process, not the end product, so I allow them to mix it up as much as they want. Yes, it usually ends up brown, or with a hole in the middle of it, but to me it's about them enjoying it, feeling it, smelling it, talking about it, not what it looks like in the end.
You can make cheap fingerpaint - WAY cheaper than buying it, if you're interested. |
In my experience, the younger ones (2-3 yrs old) don't mind that it all mixes together and changes brown, and they seem to prefer it that way, so I say let them go for it! It's really more about the sensory experience and the science experience of witnessing the change the colors make.
The older ones (4 and up) sometimes, but not always might want to keep the colors separate and actually try to paint something recognizable. I have just 2-3 yr olds right now, so I just give them a 1/2 of a paper plate with some colors and they can do whatever they want with it. They don't wash their hands until they're done, but if someone requested to wash in between then I would probably provide a wet wash cloth for them to do so. :) Happy fingerpainting! One of my favorite activities! |
I have on those rolls of papers I'm not sure what the techinal name is as my brain is dead right now lol. But I roll out sheets for each kid tape them on my kitchen floor and then pour the paint on the paper. I let them mix the colors and go crazy lol. The kids I have don't mind having it on their hands feet or wherever tip we are done. I usually end up rinsing all the kids off in the sink lol. But they have fun.
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Originally Posted by Crystal: |
I normally squeeze a blob of 3 colors (the primaries) on the sheet of paper and let them go at it. Mixing is fun! Sometimes I just do two colors, blue and red=purple, etc.
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Thank you! It feels like such a stupid question, lol. I feel more fingerpainting in our future!
(Now if I can just get the dcps to STOP sending their kids in nice pretty clothes that shouldn't get messy...) |
Cornstarch Fingerpaint
Ingredients 3 cups water 1 cup cornstarch food coloring or liquid watercolors Directions In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in a separate bowl with water. Remove boiling water from heat and add cornstarch mixture. Return to heat, stirring constantly. Boil until the mixture is clear and thick (about 1 minute). Remove from heat. As the mixture is cooling, divide into separate bowls and add food coloring. Let the children carefully mix in the coloring. I use liquid watercolors instead of food coloring. I use empty playdough cups to store it in. I put the liquid watercolors in the playdough cups prior to spooning in the corntsarch mixture so it's ready to mix and it doesn't splash when you stir it. I double this recipe and it fills about 12 playdough cups of fingerpaint. |
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25: |
Originally Posted by Crystal: This is in my contract, actually, it's just that the parents seem to ignore it. Bah. I'll put a reminder in my winter newsletter and maybe they'll get better at it in the new year. |
If you want to contain the mess, have each child fingerpaint on a cookie sheet or a plastic tray.
I remember when I was in preschool (no really, I do), the teachers would just dump a pile of paint directly on the table and we'd just play in it with our fingers. You don't get a finished product to take home that way, but it's fun! |
Originally Posted by SilverSabre25: trust me, the parents really do get it if you just go about your daily art, mess and all and their kid comes home with paint on their clothes every day..;) |
I'm going to give them the benefit of one warning. :) We haven't really been doing any art up until now because of the ages I"ve been dealing with--most of them are under 2 and are have NOT been interested in things like art. And have a tendency to eat everything. Even crayons. And markers. I also haven't had a useful sort of table for them to do things on--now I have one of those HUGE 8-seater picnic tables from Little Tikes. So, I'm finally getting on the ball and feeling like I can toss art into our days now.
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I have mostly between 18m-3y.....I tape a paper plate for each child onto the table so it doesn't slide everywhere....and let them choose which colors they want a squirt of on their plates (usually 2-4 colors max)......and I tape their papers to the table, too - I find it minimizes their frustration of the paper sliding.............and I work alone so I cannot afford a big paint mess to clean up on my own. Have fun!:D
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I also do something as pudding paint for the toddlers- they love it, and they can lick it off their hands if they want!!
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Do you have them paint on paper or directly on the table, or something else? (seems like a finished product with that would get smelly, lol!)
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Originally Posted by ninosqueridos: |
You can do it however you'd like! Tape down butcher paper and give them paper plates with paint, OR throw down a tarp or plastic tablecloth on a hard surface - put a few piles of FPaint in the center and let em go for it -add a few "tools"(flyswatters are FUN!)to use if you'd like. Use it at the easel. Use it outside. Try using it to mix colors.
Just use your imagination and provide the children with the tools they need to create! |
Originally Posted by momma2girls: |
Originally Posted by momma2girls: Does anyone have paint brushes or other tools besides a fly swatter available for finger painting? Do you require smocks to be worn? I'm thinking about getting a bunch of 2T-4T white shirts and ty-dying them to use as smocks....do you think that will work? |
Originally Posted by Abigail: |
sometimes i put the paint right on their table and let them have at it. if you want a "finished" product, press a piece of paper on the table when they are done and make a print!!!!
as far as utensils, we use all sorts of things. i have fingerpaint scrapers i bought from discount school supply that make cool designs, but we use all sorts of things from around the house. kitchen utensils, like potato mashers, ricers, wisks, whatever i pull out of the drawer! ;) balloons half blown up hairbrushes and combs toilet plungers (new of course!!!! from the $ store) are a favorite around here |
In the warmer weather we take the paint outside. I use clips to put butcher paper up on the fence and away they go!
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I usually put the paint directly on the table or in the paint tray, then when they are finished, I put the paper on top of the picture, smooth, then lift.
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I also heard that vertical coloring is also good for their motor skills. I taped paper to my kitchen wall and had my kids color standing up at the wall. I also put a paper down low so my crawler could color too! I also did chalk like this too so it would come off easier.
They also say coloring sitting on the floor is good for them too. So i taped a butcher paper to the floor and had them color sitting on the floor! They loved it cause it was something different for them! |
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