Start Them Early

Finger painting with my grandson at 19 months old!

I introduced Haeden to the big crayons, but finger paints are definitely more fun.

I spent three days babysitting my grandson and decided it is time for finger paints. First, I covered every possible inch of the table and chair. Haeden watched as I opened the four containers of washable finger paints.

I placed a blog of blue, his favorite color, on the paper and he tentatively touch it with his finger. With my encouragement he moved the paint slowly across the paper. I placed another blob of color on the paper and encouraged him to put a finger in it, too. This might have been my first mistake. The artist in me thought he would like all four colors. Maybe I should have stayed with the one color for a while because Haeden kept asking for more paint.

After a few paintings done in this manner, the next thing I knew he had his hand in one of the paint containers. I again encouraged him to spread it around on the paper. He went back for more and seemed to be enjoying the squishy feel of the paint in the container. I was getting nervous about the possible mess danger of allowing him to get his own paint from the container.

By this time Haeden had done several paintings and I thought he was done or I was done as his hands were full of paint........more so than the paper! I juggled him with my painted hands to the sink which was a feat in itself.

Cleaned up and let loose, Haeden headed back to the table to finger paint again. Okay I thought, this time I will put four small blobs of paint on the paper and hide the paint containers. Even with encouragement and help finger painting, Haeden insisted on more and did not fall for my hiding act.

In fact, he got angry and slapped his hands on the paper. "Yes, let's paint with our hands," and helped him to smear paint on the paper with his whole hand. He did like this........for a little while.........and then asked for more paint.

One more time I carefully rationed out the paint and this time I painted with him drawing circles in the paint. I decided it was time to quit as I thought this was plenty for a first lesson. Besides, I was trying hard to keep the mess to a minimum and know it could at any time quickly get out of hand (pun!).

As a good grandma and artist, I left all the painting materials in plain sight so that Haeden would ask Mom to paint again. Oh boy is she in for a treat!

Haeden's art.........and Mom's favorites:




This painting was created with a fist full of paint