No Mess Kids Paint Project

It has been so gloomy and cold at our house lately, that going outside has been almost impossible.  

Translation... my kids are bouncing off the walls and I'm running out of ways to keep them entertained. 

 Thankfully, my kiddos love to color and do "projects" like Mommy, but on this particular day I couldn't muster the energy to even think about cleaning up the inevitable aftermath of real painting so I improvised with a gallon zip lock bag, some painters tape and extra acrylic paint from my stash.  The kids loved it, I was the hero and there was not a speck of paint to scrub off!!!  Win, win,win.

Oh, and did I mention it could not have been easier.  I got the idea from a preschool idea book that said to put colored blue in a zip lock to practice writing letter.  I loved that idea, but didn't have colored glue so I grabbed my box of cheap acrylic paints that I usually use to paint wood signs.  You could absolutely use finger paints, but these are less than a dollar and there are tons of colors. 

The kids loved getting to pick their very own colors.  Once that very serious process is complete, fold back the edges of the bag so you don't get paint in the seal and squirt in a little of each color.

Next, push out as much air as you can, seal the bag and tape it to a counter top or table with a little painters tape (it's sticky but won't harm your furniture).  I also put a sheet of white paper between the bag and the table because our table is very dark and I wanted the kids to be able to see their bright white "canvas" underneath.  

They mixed, and smeared and doodled, we even practiced a few letters while we were at it.

Little fingers work great as the "paint brushes", but I also gave each of the kiddos a brush to use as a pencil when they were practicing their letters.  We actually used the same bag for a few days and got lots of enjoyment out of them.  If your kids don't get tired of the colors, the sealed bag keeps the paints wet and allows you to keep using them for as long as you want... or until the weather warms up!

Enjoy,