Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Boys are fun.  Boys are messy.  Boys will be boys, right?  At this point I’ve learned that boys don’t care if they’re dirty.  I am a mom who has a love for art.  I love to do projects with my kids.  Whether it’s drawing, science or construction, we come up with some creative ideas and also use the help of popular websites.

However,  I’m apprehensive when it comes to painting with toddlers.  For some reason I can’t handle the mess, and I lack the patience for clean up. Tate and I have done some painting  – mainly with watercolors on his easel.  He doesn’t like to be cleaned up after meals, so interrupting his painting session for a quick wipe of his hands or face turns into a war – therefore making more of a mess.

When I was buying Tate supplies for school, one item on the list was an old T shirt of mom or dads.  I figured that was their version of an inexpensive art smock.  I was right.  Tate has been painting up a storm at school.  He’s made some awesome abstract art and I love it.  Not only is his “smock” covered in paint, the rest of his body is, too.  He enjoys it so much he describes in detail on the way home what his painting was all about.  His work is displayed in his classroom, so I make sure to take a peek everyday. I’m so happy he gets to experience the fun of painting and getting messy.  His teacher is so good with the children.  She manages ten kids armed with a paint brush.  She explains how to hold the paint brush, how to make strokes and drawing different shapes.  Tate is able to draw a circle so most of his drawings are made up of round strokes.  He also uses toilet paper rolls, vegetables, and his own fingers as other tools.

Tate asks to paint, draw and color all the time now.  I am braving the mess and letting both Jack and Tate explore the arts. Paints are washable and come out of everything so I have no excuse, right?

“Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” ~ Pablo Picasso