Texture Painting

What You Need:

• Newspaper
• Paint
• Disposable containers
• Paintbrushes
• Heavy weight paper
• Assorted kitchen ingredients like sugar, salt, cornmeal, coffee or oatmeal

What You Do:

1. Cover your workspace with newspaper. This can get messy!
2. Pour a bit of paint into your disposable containers.
3. Place your kitchen ingredients on the newspaper. Let your child run his hands through the different textures. Have him describe the feel of each ingredient. Which one does he like best?
4. Make texture paint by mixing in your child's favorite ingredients into the paint containers. Encourage him to notice the way the consistency of the paint changes.
5. Use paintbrushes or even your fingers to spread the thick mixture over your paper.
6. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle on salt or sugar to add even more texture and sparkle.
7. Let your child experiment with different colors and textures. Try using ingredients that go with the subject of the painting: coffee and brown paint for the rough bark of a tree, oatmeal and green for leaves, or sparkly sugar for clouds.
8. Next time both of you are at the grocery store, be on the lookout for food that will look as good on paper as it will on your plate!