Paint Blots

What You Need:

• White construction paper
• Fingerpaint (the more colors, the better!)
• Newspapers

What You Do:

1. Put a few layers of newspaper on a table -- things might get messy.
2. Help your child fold white construction paper in half horizontally.
3. Have him unfold the paper and press it flat on the newspapers.
4. Have him randomly drop paint splots anywhere he likes on the paper. Encourage wacky behavior! He doesn't have to be neat or orderly. Encourage strange blobs, zigzags, and squiggles! Just make sure he doesn't puddle the paint so much that it could run through the paper.
5. After he's done, have him fold the other side of the paper back down and gently press the two together.
6. Can he feel the goopy paint through the paper? What does he think the paper will look like now?
7. Let your child open up the paper and lay it flat to reveal the design he's created. What does he think?
8. If you have more paper and paint, experiment with your child to see what sort of splots and blots create the coolest art after being presed.
9. You know what's next! Give you and your child a couple of minutes to think of all the things the paint splots resemble and then compare your thoughts. Did any of your ideas match-up?