Holidays could take its toll on our pockets. But this should not stop you from having a great time with your little one. Here’s an activity that my daughter loved so much when I surprised her with a very good set up. This only requires a few materials and it guarantees bonding and fun.
When I explained to her that we’re going to have an art activity that time, she exclaimed a loud, “WOW!” I told her the project was to make a car out of recycled materials and paint it after.
THE MATERIALS
As you can see, I have used recycled materials and it didn’t need fancy painting brushes.
First and foremost, I only got a couple of paints left from a project I did waaaayyyy before. So, I squeezed that to recycled containers from a desert I bought, mixed it with water and voilà! She has two kinds of paint to work on.
The wooden tray was from her stamp collection that I also just managed to laid of a paper towel to hold the paint and the paint brushes. After the stamp pads had dried up, the stamp pieces disappeared as well so, all that was left is this box tray.
Cartons from packages were cut in the shape of a cab and black art paper was cut to circles to act as the wheels. You can also reuse paper plates for this if you have extras lying around. And since around this time, my little munchkin was still 3 years old, painting the carton was work already. I just wanted her to practice dexterity by painting it until the edges and not complicate the task with too much details or decor.
I encouraged her to paint her car by showing how I paint mine. It worked but she needed many reminders not to just paint on the same area. Because since the paint brush was dipped occasionally to the paint with water, it almost put a hole at the middle of her carton.
STRATEGY
May I suggest that you do all the gluing necessary first to make up the car and if you have spare parts for the car windows, by all means, do it. It would be helpful to assign a different color for it though as you paint the entire carton.
A course I thought at Playtent called, “Creative Play” inspired me to do this project with my daughter. Too sad they had to close it down for a while to find a more accessible location for kids. But this was one of the things I got to teach the kids. As to embrace their imagination with full capacity and to be creative around it. I’m glad I introduced it to my little girl and now, we’ll always have this time to remember. Here are our finished products.
And Brave’s one became saturated with paint in the middle. It took her a little over 20 minutes to finish. Painting the edges was the most challenging. But she avoided them quite effectively. I didn’t pressure her on that but she managed it well and I thought that was so impressive. She understood that the edge was the limit. So, she did everything to control her hand as it grips the paintbrush.
WHAT’S ACTUALLY CREATED
These projects could last only for just some time. But the memory it created and the experience you and your kid shared will be timeless. They honestly wouldn’t mind if the gifts you have for them are expensive or not. The most important thing is, you’ve given up time that you can never have back to them. They may not be able to express it quite hard but they appreciate these moments more than anything.
What you made them feel will always leave a mark of your love. And the beauty of it goes fruitful if they will have their own kids in the future. Or, they would be able to treasure it by learning to give 100% all the way of what they decide to give in the future. Service, dedication, commitment, time. All of these need a great deal of sacrifice and a well-nurtured soul is the pillar of it all.
SEE YOU SOON!
Well, for more ideas on how to make use of idle time into something creative and fun, tune in to this website as it features seasonal projects every Monday. Though not limited with these kind of activities, one of the things we aim to provide are thrifty ways on how to spend quality time with your young ones. Remember, you are the greatest factor in a child’s upbringing. How you choose to spend time with them will pave the way to their skills, learning abilities and imagination, where a huge portion of their potential lies.
If you have ideas too, don’t hesitate to comment about it. Or if you want us to try something and let you know of the results or how it should be done, let us know how we can help and we’ll try to work and collaborate.
Follow @ivaluemylyf and @thebraveshow in Instagram for fun adventures and meaningful journeys. For the mean time, we work independently and it would be a great help if you’d buy me a cup of Joe to keep the juices flowing! Have a great week ahead!
