Recommended Age: 3 years and onwards
Level of Parent Involvement: Low, some preparation is required to set the activity up, once the child has been shown they make work independently, providing assistance with cleaning up if necessary
Prerequisites
- None
Materials
- A shallow rectangular container (approximately 1 inch deep and 30cm long and 30cm wide, ideally the container should be able to fit an A4 piece of paper inside)
- A packet of wide elastic bands
- Different coloured paints (3-4 colours)
- Paint pots to put the paint in
- Paintbrushes
- A smock
- A4 paper
- A sponge
- A small bucket of soapy water
Preparation
- Place the paint in the paint pots
- Put the elastic bands horizontally over the container (around 5-6 elastic bands)
Steps
- Invite the child telling them that today you are going to show them how to make patterns in paint with elastic bands
- Let the child know they must put on a smock for this work, assisting if necessary
- Show the child the container prepared with elastic bands, they may bring the container to the table, you bring the paint pots and brushes
- Sit to the right of the child, notice with the child the elastic bands across the container
- Use your finger to flick the elastic bands, invite the child to have a turn to flick the elastics
- The child may now bring 2 pieces of A4 paper to the table
- Show the child how to slide a piece of A4 paper into the container so the paper sits on the bottom of the container under the elastic bands
- Take a paintbrush and paint one of the elastics with one colour
- Repeat for the remaining elastics using the other colours
- Once all of the elastic bands are covered in paint show the child how to flick the elastics, creating splatters of different coloured paint onto the paper
- When you are satisfied with your painting, remove the painting from the container and show the child where they can put the painting to dry
- Remove the elastics from the container and put in the bin
- Replace the elastics, the child may put them on if they are able
- Invite the child to put a piece of paper in the container
- Now the child may paint the elastics and flick the elastics to make their painting
- Leave the child to work independently
- Come back when the child has finished, showing the child how to use the sponge to wipe up any paint from the table
- The child may do another painting or pack up, show the child how to remove the elastics
- The child may wash and dry the container at the end
Variations
- You can show the child how to place the elastic bands both horizontally and vertically over the container to create a more detailed painting
