Spray Painting

We did such an interesting activity outside with the children today! After clothespinning some white paper on the fence, we encouraged the children to spray paint onto the paper using pump bottles. Each bottle contained half water and half paint in order to make the liquid thin enough to go through the pump, and also so that the colours would drip and blend together easily on the paper. 

It was such a wonderful sight to see the children working side by side - sharing and problem-solving how to best manipulate the very tough-to-use bottles.

The children were amazed at how the colours blended together to make new ones and were excited to find the spray left a circular pattern on the paper.

Those spray bottles were tough work for little fingers! Our children got a work out doing this - helping to strengthen their fine motor skills and commitment to an activity.

Once inside we put the spray bottles at our art easels and invited the children to continue exploring. We thought the goggles were a nice touch! (Some of the children realized quickly that they had to have the bottles pointed the right way before squeezing the trigger!)

What was especially interesting for us to observe today was how the children problem solved when the tip of the trigger became stuck after too much rapid pressing. After much discussion they figured out that they had to pull it upwards until it clicked and then it would be ready to use again.

What a great way to engage  both boys and girls in creative art-making!