If you've ever looked at an abstract painting in an art gallery and thought, "My kid could have done that!" you're not alone! But you've probably never strolled passed a Van Gogh or Seurat and thought the same thing. Well, don't underestimate your preschooler! This activity will introduce your child to a form of art called pointillism, which uses many small dots of primary colors to make a painting. It's fun to study because it's easy and challenging at the same time--your child will get to express her creative side as she learns about primary colors and different art forms!
What You Need:
- Newspaper
- Smock, apron, or old t-shirt
- Paper
- Pencil
- Paint in red, yellow, blue, and green
- Q-tips, at least one for each color of paint
- Paper plate
What to Do:
- Use a pencil to sketch a simple drawing on a piece of paper. Some ideas could be a tree, a face, a house, etc.
- Lay out the newspaper and have your child put on the smock to keep the mess at bay.
- Help your child pour a little bit of each color of paint onto the paper plate, and have her stick a Q-tip into each color.
- Using the Q-tips, invite your child to fill in the drawing by applying small dots of paint to the paper. Encourage her to stay inside the lines and use true-to-life colors (i.e. green leaves, blue sky, yellow sun, etc) but if she can't hold back her creative side, it's not a big deal.
- When she fills the page, set it aside to dry.
- Then hang the painting on the wall or fridge and stand back. The dots of different colors should blend together and make the impression of an image. Even though your child only used primary colors, you'll swear there are other shades.
