This is by no means a new idea, but that didn’t make it any less fun. Plus, it was new to Engineer! To begin with, I grabbed some supplies from the craft closet — white construction paper, white crayons, paint brushes, and water color paints.
Before I called the kiddos in, I wrote and drew on the paper with a white crayon. The boys then came in and started in on the watercolors. Engineer could see that something was on his paper. I told him he needed to use the watercolors to see the secret drawings!
Snoopy drew random designs on his paper, then giggled while he painted a house. He was so excited to show his parents the painting he made! “They’re going to love it!” We could see the designs he’d drawn with crayons, but he was much more interested in just painting.
Engineer was really into the “secret messages” on his paper. As he painted over what I’d drawn, he excitedly yelled, “I see it! I see it!” Once he was done discovering what I’d drawn, he wanted to do his own. Eventually he decided he liked the painting part best, and I was asked to draw more designs. I think he found it difficult to see what he was doing with the white crayons.
Little Hurricane wanted to join the big boys, of course. He enjoyed playing with the crayons and using dry paint brushes on his paper. He then discovered he liked the feel of the brushes on his face, and there was no more coloring after that!
I also had fun painting with the kids! There’s just something cathartic about coloring and painting, even as an adult. Plus, children love it when the adults in their lives (parents, teachers, etc.) participate in art with them.
After dinner, Engineer wanted to paint with me again. I wrote a few goofy messages for him to find, as well as random letters and words. I told him I would trick him with the letters, and he got into yelling out the letters as he “discovered” them.
I need to remember this activity for my classroom kiddos — we could use letters, names, numbers, words, shapes, etc. It’s always a good to have many tools in the teaching arsenal! I also need to remember to pick up more watercolors . . . we’re about out!
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I love your ideas. If you have any good ideas with writing.