As usual, my 4 year old came home from school ready to be fed and entertained. I also have a 7 year old, 6 month old and house to care for, so I try to keep extra messes to a minimum without constantly saying "no" to every request. After nixing the play dough and being scoffed at for suggesting a coloring book, we landed at the paint debate. She wanted paper, paints, water, and brushes to create the traditional masterpiece that would leave the inevitable mess and need substantial counter space to dry. I was filled with dread until I remembered a pin I saw about teaching handwriting using a colored liquid in a Ziploc bag. I grabbed my phone and quickly searched Pinterest for "paint in a bag." My impatient daughter was hounding me for paints by this point, so I quickly glanced at the picture and did my best to recreate what I saw.
I took a quart sized zipper bag and added about 2 tablespoons of washable paint then zipped it closed. She loved it! Soon my 7 year old was intrigued so I made one for her. They squished it, drew on it with their fingers, and made hand prints. This actually entertained them for over an hour, and was so much easier than getting out supplies and cleaning up after a normal painting session.
I highly recommend this activity next time your kiddos start chanting "I'm bored!" I did instate the rule that it had to stay at the table. Wiping a burst paint bag mess off the table wouldn't be half as bad as finding it in the floor (especially carpet) or on the furniture! It was still just as fun with a little limitation, and even my rough middle child didn't break it.
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