Who says you are too young to paint? Before going back to teaching this year, I tried my hand at running my own business. I decided to open up a franchise called Baby College, which in essence is place where moms (and dads) can bring their babies for set educational and age-appropriate activities. Baby College allows parents and babies to come together and socialise with others and have a fun time learning new things at the same time! All the activities are planned to help the development and growth of the babies and toddlers and what’s awesome is that you can take the ideas home with you, to do with your kids in your own schedule.
At Baby College the little ones are introduce to colours and all sorts of fun things that develop their motor and social skills (and more). One activity that was ALWAYS a hit was:
Tummy Time Painting
As a parent (or a caregiver), you will appreciate the fact that this activity is super affordable and it is very likely that you already have all the materials you will need. Not to mention that it is mess free, cleaning up is as simple as tossing a bag into the bin!
For this activity, you will need the following:
- A large zip lock bag (preferably the better quality ones)
- Different colour paints (non-toxic, in case the bag does leak or burst)
- Sticky tape
- A sheet of white cardboard (more sturdy than paper)
The Activity:
- Add blobs or thick lines of paint onto your white card
- Carefully slip the card into the zip lock bag without smudging the paint
- Seal the bag securely
- Using your sticky tape, stick the sealed end of the bag to a smooth and flat surface
- Place your child onto his or her tummy facing the bag and let their hands do the rest of the work!
The smallies will explore the interesting display in front of them and each time they touch the bag the paint will squelch and spread, keeping them enticed. For those babies detest tummy time, this is something you can do to keep them entertained so that they don’t even realise they are straining on their roly-poly bellies!
Educational benefits of this tummy time activity:
- Development of gross motor skills
- Development of fine motor skills
- Sensory development
- Colour association
- Hand-eye coordination
If you find yourself sitting at home with your little one and you are not too sure how to keep him or yourself busy, whip out the plastic and some paints and have some fun! Even older toddlers will get a kick out of this, although, if your child is like mine, she’ll figure out how to unzip the bag and we’ll have paint everywhere – but that’s OK!
