* Make a paint and water mixture.
* Pour a small amount into a balloon.
* Slightly blow up the balloon and gently hand it to the young child to drop on a large sheet of paper.
* Enjoy the splat!
Alternatively:
* Fill small balloons with a small amount of water and knot the end.
* Let the children dip the balloons in small trays of paint and then drop the paint-covered balloons on to large sheets of paper.
Other ideas for print making with very young children:
* Used teabags dipped in paint and then dropped on to sheets of paper.
* Bouncy balls dipped in paint and then dropped from a height on to sheets of paper.
Smelly dough Provide the children with sensory playdough. Try this recipe as one example: Ingredients: 2 cups of flour 1 cup of salt 2 tablespoons of cooking oil Scented ingredient (for example, cinnamon, ground cloves, flavoured tea, jelly crystals or peppermint food flavouring) 1 cup of warm water What to do:
* Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.
* Mix all the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl.
* Stir the two mixtures together until the dough forms a ball.
* Finally, knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is pliable.
* As an alternative, add food colouring.
Mark makers
* Gather a range of everyday items that the children can use to make marks with - for example, hairbrushes, small paint rollers (available from DIY shops), scrubbing brushes, toothbrushes, car de-icer tools with patterns cut out along the plastic edges, massage rollers, and so on.
* Invite the children to dip these mark makers into shallow trays of paint before making marks on large sheets of paper.
Pots of flavours
* Mix food flavouring with powdered paint to create smelly pictures (make sure children don't try to taste it!).
* Try mixing lemon flavouring with yellow powder paint, peppermint flavouring with green powder paint, strawberry flavouring with red paint.
* Encourage the children to apply the flavoured paint to paper or card with toothbrushes.
Artist's canvas
* Purchase an artist's canvas from an art store or catalogue.
* Fill salt cellars with different colours of powdered paint, fine coffee granules, spices, herbs and so on.
* Let the children brush the canvas with water.
* Encourage the children to make their own masterpiece by shaking on the different contents of the salt cellars.
* Hang the masterpiece at the children's height and allow them to smell their creations.
Herb collage
* Gather a range of herbs, heathers and grasses.
* Pick a few petals off a few bright flowers.
* Place them in small bowls with the herbs and grasses.
* Roll out a large piece of sticky-back plastic and attach to a cardboard frame.
* Allow the toddler to place the petals, herbs and grasses on the frame, creating a 'picture'.
Basket weaving
* Gather together a range of materials that the children can weave with - for example, peacock feathers, pieces of rope, coloured ribbons, pipe cleaners and so on.
* Place these on the floor beside a plastic washing basket.
* Join in with the children as they push the weaving materials into the holes in the basket.
* Alternatively, attach large holed garden netting to a hoop with Sellotape. Hang the hoop at the level of the children's height with string and encourage the children to weave with the materials provided.
