Friday, January 30, 2015

Freezing & Melting Colored Ice with Buttons (& My 3 Big Rules for Paint Mess)

My 3 year old and I, together put one pumpkin, apple or ladybug shaped button into each ice cube well, and topped it up colored water to freeze overnight. The next day we shook out the ice cubes into a tray. He quickly brought out the salt - as salt melts the ice faster. As the ice melted, he finally got back all the buttons!



If you are following my blog or have even read a few posts you must know- we add paints in EVERYTHING! It just makes the most mundane activities fun!



As Paint and MESS though go hand in hand, there are the THREE BIG RULES I follow to make it manageable:



1. All painting activities restricted to the balcony / garden area ONLY. Nothing it allowed to be opened inside the house! I.e. Our upholstery isn't yet ruined. He is allowed to do whatever he wants there, spill colored water all over the floor, pour it over his head for all I care!


2. Use tempera and water colors ONLY. I don't even keep sketch pens / permanent markers/ sharpies at home. Acrylics are only for mommie and are locked up. Food colors tend to stain hands even after washing so we never use them.

Tempera comes off his easel, pallettes, brushes, trays easily. We don't ALWAYS wash up after an activity and the paints lie around for a day or two more often than not! Yet the effort required to wash up is thankfully the SAME.

The only exception is ice cube trays, it's difficult to scrub out paints off those tiny wells and it's a good idea to run a faucet immediately after use. His icecube trays are used exclusively for his activities and not for the kitchen!

Paints come off clothes easily too, but MANY times the stains decide to stick around! therefore my third rule:


3. Wear crap clothes at home, exclusively. Once he's back home fm school, we change into crap clothes, aka 'home' clothes. Old Clothes that just about fit him, were gifts but cannot be possible worn in public but mostly the ones that are wee bit stained. This makes up 80% of his wardrobe, since MOST times he manages to stain a brand new tshirt on the FIRST day itself. They wear aprons at school and he usually doesn't stain clothes, BUT ONLY on days when he's wearing a brand new tshirt. Its kinna a rule!


We don't throw out these tshirts (much to my husbands annoyance) and they are used as 'home' clothes, since he paints at least a few times a week. I DONT bother hand washing these clothes. If it's stained too much, I soak it in room temperature water for a while before dumping it in the washing machine. If the stain stayed back I coolly toss it into the bin and wash my hands off it. Simple!



When these rules are in place, the 'mess' is never in the wrong place and I wholy embrace it!  Paints? Bring em on!


My Related Pinterest Board:


9 comments:

  1. I like your suggestions for keeping the mess at bay. I love crafts with paint, but they are best done outside. This is a cute activity that we will try when it gets warmer.

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  2. That is so cool, thanks for the advice at the end

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  3. Fun photos and very good rules for handling paints.

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  4. I love your cavalier attitude about painting! I was afraid to paint with my kids for several years and now I am slowly learning to be more chill about it. Great advice on your part :)

    Thanks for linking up to STEM Saturday!

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    1. Lol! Although the only thing I'm cavalier about is getting my camera near all the paint!

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  5. So much fun!

    Thanks for linking up with this week's parenting pin it party x x x

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  6. What a neat project! Thanks for sharing at the Home Matters LInky Party this week!

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  7. I am in awe. We have to paint with ice soon!

    Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!

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  8. So fun! I love how your teach but have so much fun at the same time. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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