Bring on the Paint!

Families may need be practicing social distancing, but we can still enjoy the benefits of nature and the outdoors. As a mother of two boys - 3 and 6 years old, I find myself asking, what is a good activity for us to do as a family? Luckily we are now seeing some nicer weather so we took out some paint and paintbrushes and added some colour to outdoor things around us!

What you will need:
-washable paints
-paintbrushes
-paper plates (something to pour the paints onto)
-a place to decorate such as your driveway, the sidewalk, the bricks on your home, or if these are not appropriate, just bring out some large sheets of paper or a canvas to paint on!

Engaging your child:
You should open your activity with a simple invitation. “Let’s paint outside today. What should we paint?” During the activity you can ask open-ended questions. “What colors are we using?” “What will happen if we add this yellow to the blue?”. Listen and comment on your child’s actions and follow their lead! They will enjoy this experience because you are doing the activity with them and because it’s fun to paint outdoors!