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"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary"
Pablo Picasso
Here’s an idea….Get down and dirty.
That’s right….you heard me. Let your kids get dirty…create a mess…spill on their clothes. In fact, why don’t you just join in!
I know, I know….there’s that tightening in my chest when my daughter says, “Mommy, let’s paint!”. I inwardly (And probably outwardly) cringe. I have flashes of paint on her clothes, on the floor, on the wall, in her hair….heck, in my hair….but how sweet is her smile when I say yes???
It's heavenly….really it is.
I whip out the paint, I fill a bowl with water and I let both my daughter and son indulge their creativity.
The truth is, they don’t paint for very long. They eventually spill the water. They mix the colors of paint. But they have fun. And when I can truly focus on them having fun, I feel peaceful….even with paint in my hair.
And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous…make your own finger paint! (If finger paint makes you squeamish…let the kids play with it in the bathtub!)
Here’s a recipe for homemade finger paint:
1/3 cup of corn starch
3 tablespoons of sugar
½ tsp of salt
2 cups of cold water
Food coloring (or frozen fruit if you are feeling particulary organic)
Mix the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a medium pan…slowly add the cold water.
Cook the mixture over low heat. Stir continually until it becomes thicker and smooth.
Add ¼ cup of light corn syrup.
Divide mixture into equal sections, stir in food coloring.
(You could also use frozen raspberries, blueberries, cranberries or beets if you want an edible version of this paint. Use the juice drained from the beets or berries.)
Happy Painting!
