Welcome to this brave new world in which everyone gets to homeschool! If you’re anything like me, it’s always kind of been in the back of your mind as an option, but for various reasons not something you would (or could) choose first. Being thrust into it suddenly isn’t easy. Or maybe you’re already a seasoned homeschooler, in which case I salute you.
So this is an adventure. Yesterday I dug into my stockpile of crafty type things that I had picked up in years past but never seemed to get around to doing with my kids. Remember paint with water books? I had a few that I found at the dollar store, and my six-year-old and I had great fun painting our way through a few sheets. Yes, grownups, it’s quite therapeutic!
My son quickly plowed through most of the pages (I’m sensing a trend here), which led me to this activity.
You can also create your own paint with water art! It’s a great activity that is not very messy, and will teach younger kids about mixing different colors to create a new color.
Supplies:
- Paper (cardstock or thick paper is ideal)
- Sharpie or other permanent marker
- Washable markers (or any markers that smear with water)
- Paint brush
- Cup of water
Steps
Adults or kids, draw outlines (anything you don’t want to turn into “paint”) with the permanent marker. Think of it like a coloring book page.
Next, begin filling in colors with the washable markers. You can do patterns with different shapes, or just scribbles. Just don’t fill in the areas with solid color–that won’t give the effect we’re looking for.
Use the “correct” color marker, or take learning to the next step by mixing colors together: blue and yellow to make green, several different colors to make brown, etc.
Dip the paintbrush in water and smear those washable marker areas around like watercolor paint!
Some colors blend away more easily than others, so you might be left with some remaining pattern, but that’s okay. Let’s be calm like Bob Ross about it. We’re just having fun.
Here’s one that my six-year-old did on his own:
Bonus Method
Older kids might enjoy this one. Simply make a line drawing with different colored washable markers, then paint the lines with water, drawing color into the empty areas.
Now your line drawing is an artistic watercolor. (Sorry, I don’t have a “before” picture for this one.)
Have fun!