{This post contains affiliate links, please see my disclosure policy.} 

My son is not a “crafter” or “painter”.  If I ask, “Do you want to paint today?!”  He will say, “No, let’s play Legos!”

So if I want him to paint, I have to set it all up first, without him knowing, and then he will come out, get a huge smile, and decide to paint :)  But a couple times he has decided he still doesn’t want to and will go back to playing Legos and Trucks.

Every child is different.

Invitation to Paint

• I cut hearts out of construction paper and set them down on top of our old paper bag table-protector.

• Also, I squirted red, bright pink, and light pink Tempera paint on some box tops (= easy clean up and easy to toss out).

• Then I gave my son 3 painting tools: q-tips, paint brushes, and cotton balls in clothespins.  This gave him a choice on what to paint — but within boundaries.

• And so I’d still have the sweet result we wanted, I only gave him pink and red paint, otherwise if I give him all the colors, he will end up mixing paints to make brown, every time :)

He started with the brushes. Then was excited to try the clothespin with the cotton balls. He loved having paint choices and utensil choices.  He was able to be creative on his own.

And then, as expected, he began painting his hand and arm.

Even gave me a sweet smile!We have these hung over our kitchen window, with some string and my favorite conspicuous 3M hooks.  He made several beautiful Valentine’s to give to family — and one for mama, of course!

We will definitely be setting our painting expeditions up like this again!  

And for the baby….

I just gave my daughter a red Do-A-Dot marker, which she gladly colored her Valentines with!  She is a very agreeable, sweet girl, who loves to be a part of the artistic fun, so she happily sat in her chair and watched and created too.  (Check out more of her fun tomorrow!)

Happy painting,

I’d love if you’d follow me on G+ and Facebook!