My Kid Did Paint That

Rob and I recently watched My Kid Could Paint That, a documentary I discussed on here before. It was just as intriguing to me this time, and I think Rob even enjoyed it, despite his protests. It definitely reminded me that I want to encourage and allow my kids to have some fun with art if they like it, whether they are particularly gifted or not. If they want to do it, by golly, we're going to do it.

So today I got a drop cloth, stripped Saw down to a diaper and gave him some paint and canvas. Since he was savvy to the documentary, Rob asked if I helped or directed. Only a little. I didn't ever take the brush from him, but I did give him some instructions, like: put the brush in the paint, then on the canvas. Or use your hand. No, DON'T EAT THE PAINT. I also gave him some parameters in that I only picked three colors, two blues and a green, so we wouldn't end up with any muddy colors. So, yeah--I helped. But I think at this age, parameters and a little instruction are okay. Plus, we're not selling his paintings for $80,000, so I feel okay about it. Enjoy the photos!

He began by sitting on the canvas.
Then started off slowly.
He soon figured out that he could paint his hand with the brush, then use his hand on the canvas.

"I just blue myself." (Name the show! This is an easy one...)
And, finally, let's get our whole body involved. Why not?
I would highly suggest giving your kids the freedom to be creative, not just with the normal crayons and what not. Craft paints are like 50 cents--buy a few and let them really have at it. Drop cloths are a good idea ($1.50) and have an exit strategy to the nearest hose or shower. One thing I forgot to plan for is the fact that I would be carrying this paint-covered child to the shower--so you may want to wear your paint clothes too. What a great idea for Christmas presents!