Materials:

• Mouse Paint by Ellen Stollt Walsh
• Red, blue, and yellow powdered tempura paints.
• Clear dishwashing liquid.
• Large sheets of plastic.
• Newsprint or butcher paper.
• Shallow containers for holding paint.

Time Required: 20 minutes

Set Up:

• Cover an area with plastic sheeting covering both the floor and lower part of the walls. 
• Tape large sheets of newsprint or butcher paper onto the floor and walls.
• Mix one part powdered tempura paint with two parts clear dishwashing liquid. Set out dishes of yellow, blue, and red.
• Keep plenty of soapy water nearby for clean up.

Directions:

Read Mouse Paint aloud with your children. Point out how the mice change colors when they mix with other colors. Follow the reading by allowing children to be like the mice and do some finger painting and color mixing of their own. Set a dish of red, blue, and yellow paint in front of each child and allow them to dive into the colors and explore what colors they can make. When a sheet gets overloaded with paint, replace it with another sheet to continue the discovery. When the little ones start to lose interest, hang their artwork to dry. Soap and water is all you need for a thorough clean up.

Community Connection:

Take children on a color walk. Read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and make up a rhyme that will help children find colors as they occur around them like: Little Babe, little babe, what do you see? I see a red truck zipping past me.

Related Resources:

www.zerotothree.org
This website offers insight into the mind of the baby and toddler. Filled with research and age-appropriate activity ideas, parents, childcare providers, and teachers can find ways to help encourage learning and discovery from the earliest age.

Mouse Paint
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