I love when Henry chooses the activity for the day. This time he wanted really, really badly to paint the big window again!
When we made window paint last time, it was super sticky and goopy. This time, I looked up a new window paint recipe from Home Spun Threads.
Very similar recipe to the last, but this time, no corn starch.
Very Simple Window Paint Recipe:
- Dish Soap
- Tempera Paint for color
Can’t get much simpler than that. And fast!
I mixed together a dish of each primary color, keeping it as simple as possible.
While I mixed together the paint and gathered supplies [all of 2 minutes, maybe], Henry placed Blue Dog on the back of the couch to look out the window to watch him paint.
Henry went to town painting the window. This paint was much thinner and easier to spread than the corn starch recipe. [They both have their pros and cons.]
This time, I armed Henry with a scrub brush.
His new favorite tool to paint the window with!
[Blue Dog's watching Henry in action from inside.]
I took advantage of our primary paint colors and explored mixing them together with Henry.
Henry and I mixed together yellow and blue to make green. This one isn’t new to Henry as we’ve had to come up with a way to paint with green in the past without actually having green paint.
But orange and purple are new to him! Henry really liked that yellow and red made orange. Maybe it will be a new favorite color… though I’m not sure orange would pass the test… [there aren't a lot of Allis-Chalmers machines around here, at least not at Grandpa's farm.]
To show how much thinner this window paint recipe is:
I think now I can say we created our own drip paintings!
This would have been a great recipe! The edge of the window looked pretty cool. Henry thought so too and pointed out the drips many times as he was making them. [I think next time we try window painting, I'll just add a tad bit of corn starch and hopefully we'll find a happy medium.]
To add a little more fun, I brought out his squirt bottle. I thought it would be fun to see what designs we could make with squirting it onto the paint.
Henry had plans to clean off the entire window with it. [That could take a long time...]
Henry has been going through a stage of throwing fits for every little thing. This time he threw a fit and ended up in a time out in his room before completely cleaning the window. The plan was to hose it off and have a little water fun. I ended up doing that myself, though.
Henry was 3 years old.
About Jamie Reimer
That looks like SO much fun! How cute that he lined up doggy to watch, awwww!
Jamie, that's a wonderful idea of using paint and soap and it makes kids more involved in any activity. Thanks for sharing.
Very cute. I love that he wanted puppy to watch him! We will have to try this idea soon!
Fun! Did the dish soap help get the paint off the window frame? I'd like to do this at our school.
Boy would my girls go crazy for this activity. We will have to try it soon!
I love the drip painting on the bottom! Sometimes the messes are the most beautiful part of the project! 3's can be quite difficult (at least for C it was)!
Great documentation of the whole process! Sometimes it is difficult to get all those pics.
We did this this morning and got two new ideas in the process. We made prints of our window painting by pressing paper onto the window and peeling it off. After we did a half-dozen of those, my daughter got the idea to sit on her chair and paint with her toes. That was fun! Thanks for getting us started!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this post, the idea, the presentation/documentation — the whole enchilada. Love adding the tools, love the color mixing.
You've done such a brilliant job of sharing — from your family to the world.
The old art teacher in me rejoices to see this going on at an early age!!!!
THREE THUMBS UP!
BTW: it's ubber kind of you to share that there was some hoopdy-do at the conclusion….. otherwise we'd really think you were super-person from another galaxy and get a bit grumpy by comparison.
It's good to know that even in the midst of a brilliant 'activity' full of process & learning any given child can hit a rough spot. Makes us all part of the same human pool.
We've never tried window painting, but it sure does look fun and pretty. Those little fits are tough! Thanks for sharing this at the Summertime fun party.
Very fun! I love the drips at the bottom, I think those are my favourite part, they look so colourful! Thanks for sharing with us at Outdoor Play! Hope we'll see you again this Friday
What fun! Makes me wish I was a kid again
I run Fun Family Crafts, a site similar in nature to Craftgawker and Spotlight, but different in that it's a library of craft tutorials geared only at kids. I would love it if you'd stop by and submit this to be featured! (I link to you, I don't post your tutorial on the site) Feel free to submit as many kid friendly craft tutorials as you like! http://funfamilycrafts.com/
So, I'm a little paint-wary. Does it stain the window base/frame at all? Or the walls? I'd hate to have a purple house.
Hi Jamie! Just discovered your wonderful blog tonight–Here's the one I started last summer…..hope you and your boys enjoy it
Tamara
Oops….here's my link: http://mess-cipes.blogspot.com/
best,
Tamara
many, many years ago when I was a new teacher, I used this recipe and let my third graders paint my little white Volkswagen. The kids had a ball and the paint came off easily in the car wash. I still get comments from the kids in that class (all in their 30s) who have never forgotten that project.
This looks awesome! Pinning so I can pull it out soon for my girls. Thanks!
Window paint was a big hit here, too. I especially love the “cleaning game” we played at the end. We didn’t do a super job of cleaning up, but later on that day, I came around the corner to find my son in the middle of another round of cleaning the window, without any help from me. Those moments are the best!
I paint the Windows at School for other teachers. Maybe you will like to try mine: liquid soap, tempera and a little of hand cream. It is very easy, no dripping and it washes with just water.Laura Oreamuno, Costa Rica
What a wonderful idea – I know kids love to a paint with water on a hot summer day but this some seriously colorful fun! Thank you!