dont know whether its a good idea to encourage my lil picasso or not but have just spent another £100 in elc!!! easy done on net spec with discounts and vouch codes i feel like i have to spend it to get it!!!! now shes having a table and chairs to do drawing on and i thought it might be nice idea for her to make her own thank you cards so thought i could buy some paints. does any one else do painting at home if so can you recommend any paints??? do they do anything such as a washable paint??? would be interested to hear from you mummies with their v own picasso in the making thanks xx

hi, I have a little picasso who loves to paint and do anything art and crafty!!

Shea does a lot of stuff like this at nursery so thought it might be nice to ahve some art supplies at home.

he has an easel with one side chalk, and also drawing pads where he'll use felts or crayons which he loves to use but if we are using paint or glue I ensure he does it on the kitchen floor to minimise mess!!

I have a very big kitchen with a lot of floor space and I lay an old sheet on the floor, pop his painting smock on and let him get on with it. if he does get anything on the floor its terrocotta to just wipes straight off.

I buy Crayola washable paint and he also has body paints. He also uses pva glue and also some glitter glue (made some fantasic gitter pictures on sunday with leaves and twigs!!)

I would suggest trying tescos - they have a huge supply of kids art and crafts things at really reasonable prices.

I'm planning on doing Shea an art stocking for xmas with loads of other materials for him to explore

we also go walking in garden and woods looking for natural things to stick on paintings and I#m too buying plain cards for xmas and my little picasso will do the art work!!

have fun xxx

Hi, At 21 months, lo is still putting a lot in his mouth so I haven't bought paints as yet. But I do buy lots of creative things like foam shapes (flowers, vehicles etc) with sticky backing, feathers, pipe cleaners, gummed paper, scrunched up tissue/crepe paper etc for him to stick on paper and make a picture. I buy a lot of stuff on-line too, and I think Baker Ross do quite good value stuff and there's loads of variety.

Soudns like you and lo will have lots of fun! I know I will love painting, not that I have any artistic talent at all. Hopefully lo will share my enthusaiasm!

I meant to say too that to minimise mess, and still do painting, you could buy those colouring books which you paint with water and the colours in the pictures come out. Lo loves these, and my mum bought them really cheaply from Wilkinsons.

ooh loving the craft ideas thanks girls and just about to order some crayola washable paint lol xx

You're brave!

Isla is limited to crayons.. We go to a play centre where she can paint but I haven't tried it yet bc the easel is too tall for the short munchkin!

I'm a bit of a mess-a-phobe so not ready to try it yet esp. since we're living with my parents where paints are guaranted to fall over the floor!

My thought at the moment is that she doesn't know what she's missing, so it's OK... but go Daisy and don't forget to post her artwork!

xx

we do painting, but i have to say its mostly when the weather is nice and in the garden, as they are very messy!!! my two both love it, but you have to watch freya as she is inclined to start eating the paint as soon as your back is turned!!! its is good fun though.

we also make collages and stuff, you can get craft suplies so cheap and it keeps them entertained for ages. phoebe who is nearly 5 is very imaginative, yesterday i helped her to make a bumble bee out of a toilet roll tube.

here is a pic of freya the last time that we did painting, it was in september when it was warmer and they took their shoes off and did foot prints up and down a big bit of paper. so much fun!

I did painting for the 1st time at home yesterday with my 14 month old. He does lots at nursery so we decided to take the plunge! We just got some of the ready mixed paint from ELC & a chunky paintbrush, sat at his plastic table/chair in the kitchen with a mess mat down & plastic 'coverall' bib. We did handprints which we are going to turn into christmas trees for special christmas cards & then we had enough of these I just let him paint whatever he wanted to. I was very impressed that he didn't make any mess other than on the table & all over his hands & I managed to clean him up really easily afterwards too.
We try to do something involving drawing as much as possible & have a box with Crayola washable pens (suitable from 12 months & very easy to wash off!), Crayola first pencils (also from 12 months) & a selection of crayons. We struggle a bit with the pencils as LO doesn't tend to press hard enough but he really enjoys the pens & crayons.
Enjoy getting creative.
xx