Skip to content
All orders dispatched same / next day with An Post!
All orders dispatched same / next day with An Post!
Painting with a Baby or a Toddler

Painting with a Baby or a Toddler

Paint is a great activity for children from about 6 months. The younger they are, the bravest you must be, but it will pay off! They love seeing how their actions (spreading the paint) have an effect, it’s just like magic! Babies can start painting during tummy time or sitting on the high chair. It will help them develop their body strength, motor skills (body movement and hand control) and coordination between their eyes and their hands. Here are some tips on how to set up the activity and what to expect:

IT’S ABOUT THE PROCESS, NOT ABOUT THE RESULTS.

Don’t be hoping you will be able to keep that picture the baby or toddler will make and hang it on the wall. The child will learn and enjoy the process and you need to focus on that too. It’s really not about the result. Take a picture of the baby painting (or making a mess) and use that as a result. If you try to keep it clean and beautiful the baby will get frustrated and won’t enjoy it. He will probably also hate painting and make negative associations with it.

ONE COLOUR AT A TIME.

The thing kids love the most when they are very young is to see how colours mix, rather than painting on paper. If you place a tray with different colours they will probably go from one to another exploring the different combinations as soon as they discover that the colour changes when mixing with others. Don’t panic, they are learning so much! If you want them to focus on each colour before they make a big mess, just offer one colour at a time. Start with lighter colours and add darker colours as they are painting. 

OFFER DIFFERENT TOOLS AND MATERIALS

As well as exploring the paint and the colours, kids will also enjoy exploring different textures and materials to paint with and to paint on. Painting doesn’t have to be always the same. They can paint on different surfaces (a box, paper on the floor, on tinfoil, rocks, the bath…) and also use different tools to paint with (hands, brushes, sticks, feathers, sponges, stamps, vegetables like a carrot would make circles…). Trying lots of different items will open up their creativity and problem-solving skills as they discover how things work.

LET THEM GET MESSY!

When you are worried about how dirty they are getting or the mess they are making, they get that negative feeling and they won’t enjoy it as much as if you relax and allow them to feely explore what’s given. Using old clothes or just a nappy is a way of giving them permission to get as messy as they want to so they can really explore and make that activity a unique and fun learning experience.

Discovery Playtime recommended products for painting with toddlers:

Jovi Poster paint 500ml 

Jovi Poster paint 500ml

Tickit Flower Sorting Tray

Tickit Flower Sorting Tray

Stabilo 3-in-1 crayon pencils

 Stabilo 3-in-1 crayon pencils

Colour sorting bowls

 Colour sorting bowls

Paint Foam Roller with Patterns

 Paint Foam Roller with Patterns

Paper Roll 15m

 Paper Roll 15m

Jovi Finger Paint 17pcs Playbox

Jovi Finger Paint 17pcs Playbox

Previous article Science and Curriculum: The Scientific Method
Next article Visit to Sligo Children Community Garden

Leave a comment

Comments must be approved before appearing

* Required fields

Related

  • Learning at the Farm

    Learning at the Farm

    'Okay everyone, this week we will be learning about the farm. Who can tell me something about the farm? 'How many times have we as teachers introduced a new theme like this? You sit around at circle time and talk about how there's a farm in paw patrol and sing Old McDonald and then you go on to creating farm activities....
    Read now
  • An Invitation to Play and Relax after School

    An Invitation to Play and Relax after School

    An invitation to play is a purposefully designed setup or arrangement of materials that invites a child to engage in open-ended play. It is typically created by an adult or caregiver to spark the child's imagination and encourage exploration, creativity, and problem-solving. They are perfect for the...
    Read now
  • When I grow up I want to be a...

    When I grow up I want to be a...

    A doctor, firefighter, dinosaur, astronaut, mammy, daddy, I don't know.... For a child there are endless possibilities for this sentence and it can become overwhelming. There are so many answers to such a big question! From birth children begin building a solid foundation of skills through play which they continue to develop and refine throughout their lives.
    Read now