Allowing free and unstructured access to art materials is a challenge for both home and classroom settings. How to deal with safety, with supervision and with the mess!? And yet, free and spontaneous creation of art is a magical gift for kids of all ages, from toddler to teen.
Watercolor paints provide a simple solution. Set up a tub of supplies on a small table:
- good quality watercolor sets with bright easy-to-use colors. A simple Crayola set with 8 little pans of basic colors is perfect…encourages kids to mix these pigments to create different colors and shades.
- a wide variety of paintbrushes in different sizes and shapes, set handle-down in a jar
- heavy white paper.
- plastic yogurt containers for rinse water, or if there’s no sink nearby for kids to access, use plastic “peanut butter type” jars with screw lids
- If a sink is not available, include a quart of fresh water with a simple flip top.
- A roll of paper towels and a wastebasket complete the center.
Allow kids to help themselves to a private painting session whenever they need a break or feel the inspiration to create. One child at a time . This is a private space to experiment with color and shape and how different paintbrushes make different marks.
Teaching simple clean-up steps is part of the learning. Rinse your brushes and put them back in their jar, handle side down, brush side up. Wipe up drips with a paper towel. Pat the paint sets with a crumpled paper towel before you close the lid when you are done. Used paper goes into the waste basket. Empty your used rinse-water in a sink when you are done.
With gentle reminders from parent or teacher about the responsibilities of using the watercolor space, kids will come to view it as a peaceful and important part of their personal play options.
