Since I stay at home with my kids I am always looking for things to do during the day. I have often heard people say they don't like to do messy things with their kids, or they don't like to have to clean up a mess. I really don't mind. My kids love doing art projects. The art projects often end up all over their bodies. Every morning they (especially Nick) ask me do a project. Sometimes it is as simple as coloring, or water colors. If I feel energetic and Lilly is cooperating we can get into the messier categories like finger painting and glue products. Today was shaving cream painting and oh was it a grand mess.
First we start off with a cheer for art projects. I also make them stand with their hands up while I set up their plates. I didn't want them to start their painting until I filled all of their trays with shaving cream. When they have their hands up I know they are listening instead of trying to get to the paint and things I have put on the table. I know it seems silly but it works and stops the grabby hands from getting into too much trouble while my back is turned.
I gave them the spatulas to swirl their paint into the shaving cream but who are we kidding the hands went in right away. It would be a futile effort to prevent this from happening. I have to admit I like to explore the way things feel too. As an adult I don't think we get enough time to dig our hands into things and explore so I might as well let the kids do it.
So here is the main point of this art project. You use the shaving cream as a medium to swirl paint. Then you lay a sheet of paper on the paint and cream. It makes a tie dye design. Of course when two year olds go at it its not quite the beautiful swirls you can see in some tutorials but they did come out pretty nice. After the paint has a chance to soak in you wipe off the cream and you're left with a nice design. I think we are going to make some mothers day cards with these ones.
I do have some rules. They have to paint the paper before they start completely covering their bodies in paint. So we got 12 pictures made before the giant mess started to happen. Joe was the first to start. He loves to paint on his belly. James followed right away but Nick wanted to do more pictures. That is why he is slightly less covered than the other two.
Usually James is the first to call it quits and tell me he wants to take a bath. Today it was Nick. He got a huge glop of red paint in the top of his diaper. My guess is that was not too comfortable. So Now for the tricky part. I have to get three kids completely covered in goop into the bath without them destroying my house. This is how we do it. We end the exact same way we started. They have to put everything on the table and put their hands in the air. Some times I feel a bit like a Drill Instructor but it works. I help them jump down from the table so they keep their hands up and they have to march into the bathroom with hands up. They like to tell me everything they can't touch. As we walked through today Nick named every toy he passed saying "Can't touch my light saber, can't touch my Rodey, Can't touch the couch." I like it. It lets me know they are not forgetting my Don't touch anything rule.
Here is where we end up. Almost all messy projects end up with a bath. Its just easier that way. I hose the kids off with the shower then let them play in the water a little bit.
You may wonder where is Lilly during all of this? Because I have been blessed with four beautiful children but cursed with four who don't like to nap, she is with us the whole time. She is either sitting in her chair or being worn by me. Today she was harnessed to me during the painting, which is why her beautiful face is not featured in any of our pictures. Because I cant give them a bath with her strapped to my chest she has to sit in her chair. Here she is safely on the other side of the glass watching her brothers play in the water.
So I know, people think I am crazy for even tackling the smallest of art projects with all four kids but I think its fun. The boys have a great time and I hope I am making great memories for them. We get messy then we get clean, just to do it all over again. What will we do tomorrow?
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