What you need:
- white sheet
- tempera paint
- paintbrushes
- sponges
- squirt bottles
What to do:
- Prepare by hanging the white sheet — your "canvas" — over a fence or on a clothesline.
- Invite your child to paint the sheet with brushes, make prints with sponges, or even spray paint (mixed with extra water) from a squirt bottle.
- After awhile (or once the sheet is complete), soak the sheet with a garden hose and wash off as much of the paint as possible. Your child may want to take a photograph of the mural first, as a souvenir.
- Encourage your child to paint the sheet again. How is painting on a wet sheet different from on a dry sheet? Does the paint look different?
- When finished, allow the sheet to dry. Can your child think of ways to display his work, such as making a tablecloth or cutting up the sheet into pieces to use as book covers or quilt squares?