Today we met a group of friends at our local art gallery and after enjoying the art on display (well the moms enjoyed it – the kids enjoyed the long ramps which they were running up and down) we went next door to a park to create our own masterpieces. The medium we chose was PAINT. Messy, yes. But oh so fun!

Today we just gave the kids long sheets of paper off a big roll and let them do whatever they wanted. But in the past I have done some fun painting crafts that I thought might be perfect “un-bore your kids” summer activities:

• Have the child lay down on a large piece of paper and trace around him/her.  Then get out the paints and have fun creating a lifesize portrait.

• Add lots of fun things to the paint such as sand for texture and glitter to add a sparkle.  This makes painting extra special fun and allows the kids to create some very interesting effects.

• Put different colored drops of paint on the paper and then use a straw to blow them around to create unique patterns.

• Spread out a rectangle of playdough or modelling clay the size of an 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of paper. Carve out an interesting picture in it. Then roller paint over the entire surface and press down a piece of paper to create a print from the carving.

• Think of different objects that you can paint with and test them out to see what effects you can create.  Try running toy cars through paint and then on to your paper, cut open vegetables such as potatoes and green peppers to make interesting stamps, use bird feathers and toothbrushes to add texture to the paint.

Hope you have lots of fun and make lots of messes (after all, that’s what being a kid is all about!)