Painting is a great outlet for your toddler to express their creativity and have some fun, while making a huge mess in the meantime. Why not spice up a typical afternoon of painting by swapping the typical paint brush for items that are a little more fun to work with.
Sponge
Cut up a normal kitchen sponge into smaller sections and let your toddler create a masterpiece. Make sure it is a new sponge though, so your little one doesn’t end up with any domestic cleaning products on their hands.
Fingers
The mess of using fingers is what makes this appealing to kids and less appealing to mums. Why not use their feet, arms or even their whole body.
Paint roller
If you have large sheets of paper, why not pull out your decorating paint roller from storage and let your child use it. Your little one can make large swirls or even patterns if you use a variety of colours on the roller at one time.
A ball
A large or small ball can create creative patterns that no paintbrush could ever hope to achieve. Just make sure it is free from muck or dirt that will just ruin your little one’s picture.
String
If you have some string, wool or twine lying around, cut it into different lengths and let your child dip it into various paint pots. They can drag the string with the paint on it across the page to create designs.
Leaf
Go out hunting for various shaped leaves and paint them different colours. Press them on to the page and pull off, leaving an imprint of the leaf on the sheet. Ensure all of your leaves are dry before using them and remember to press down firmly.
Pasta
Another great item that will create wonderful shapes on paper. Simply roll your pasta into the paint and then onto the paper.
Sticks
While out searching for leaves make sure you pick up some sticks to paint with. Your toddler can create a pattern of dots or even try to write down letters – what could be better than having fun and learning at the same time?
