"Play is the work of the child." - Maria Montessori
Which is why we play all day, every day at this daycare. I pride my business on providing a safe environment for children to explore and learn about the world through play. This means saying yes to things as much as possible and giving kids plenty of opportunities to expand their minds. On this particular day, it was painting.
I measured, cut, and taped paper to the table top, plopped paint down directly on the paper, and set numerous painting items on the table. From there, the kids were able to paint however they wished. Some used the items as painting tools, others painted the items, and a couple of kids bypassed all of it and simply used their fingers to paint.
Items used for painting: various paint brushes, wooden trains, Hot Wheels, animal figurines, cotton balls, and Q Tips. All of it was thrown in the dishwasher and easily cleaned.
The idea wasn't to send home a painting masterpiece at the end. It was to show them that each object can create a different shape, pattern, etc. Mixing the paints give you new colors. A paintbrush isn't necessarily needed to paint if you can think outside the box. There are endless, simple lessons in an activity that kept the kiddos busy and focused for 30+ minutes.
