Materials
One cake of watercolor paint
Construction paper
Cup of water
Thin brush
Masking Tap
Directions
Making marks on paper with a thin watercolor brush is a wonderful way to encourage your preschooler to practice those important fine motor skills! It’s also a process that requires your child to follow a simple sequence of steps to bring about the desired outcome. Your child will also become aware of different kinds of lines (straight, curvy, zigzag, long/short lines, vertical/horizontal lines) and shapes. Use the masking tape to secure the paper to the table in front of your child. Provide your child with a ½-filled cup of water. Show him how to dip his brush into the water; then swirl the wet brush on the watercolor cake to pick up the color. We start out by using only one color of paint initially, to simplify the process. After he has some paint on his brush, encourage him to “sweep” the brush across the paper. Dip the brush in the water again, swirl it on the watercolor cake, and mark the paper again. When your child is finished, show him how to rinse the brush in clean water so he’s ready the next time!