Tips and Tricks: Going Green

Age: 18 months - 5 years
Area of Development: self expression/fine motor skills

This trick of the trade is coming from the art teacher at my work. After you have your child paint (either finger paint or with brushes) save the paper that they painted on. Later, once it has dried the child can use that same paper to draw scribbles or shapes on top of the colors. Save that paper. Later the child can cut out the shapes or just cut apart the paper. Three uses for one piece of paper: paint, draw, cut. (An occupational therapist might also suggest that you have your child crumble the cut paper to help throw it away.)
Most kids paint for the enjoyment of painting and what they create is just a big piece of paper covered with paint. They enjoyed the process of it all much more than the product that they created. Once your child actually starts painting pictures I do not suggest that you have them draw on top of them (unless they want to use a different media to add to the picture) and I do not suggest that you tell them to cut up their pictures or crumble them up and throw them away. This tip is for those people who have kids that will paint and paint and paint until the entire paper is covered and then ask for more paper to paint some more.

Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have a tip you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments or email me at mccathy at comcast dot net.