While my youngest two are usually asleep for their afternoon nap; three p.m. means nothing to my twin preschoolers. If anything, their need for activity and noise peaks at three p.m.

Dear readers, I am here to tell you of the wonders a colouring page and water paints can achieve at three p.m.

Town Colouring Page

What can we expect as children get started with colouring?

By the time a child is 4, he or she should be able to colour within the lines and no more than 0.6cms outside of the line. They should also almost entirely colour within the lines of a 10cm circle.

By the time they are 4.5 years old, they should use a static tripod grasp consistently when using a writing tool (e.g. pencil/paintbrush/crayon/marker).

As my twin preschoolers used their water paints to colour their towns, my eyes observed their fine motor skills, and my ears appreciated the peace and quiet of the moment. It was wonderful.

We want to share our happy 3 p.m. moment with you and your household; download our free printable town colouring page. We would love to hear about your 3 p.m. moments.

N & M: 4 years, 3 months

September 2012

 Looking for more free printable colouring/drawing pages?

Here are some of our favourites:

Picklebums – Printable Shape Drawing Prompts
Picklebums – Printable Drawing Frames
My Little Bookcase – The Wonkey Donkey
Mamasmiles – Printables
At Home with Ali – One Fish, Two Fish Printable

The post Town Colouring Page by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

Painting Feet: Painted Socks

 
There’s something odd about the experience of putting paint on ourselves. I find it calming and relaxing. Eg, when painting my nails, I forget about the world for about 15 minutes. Likewise, face painting my kids keeps them still for 15 minutes. All we see and feel for those 15 minutes is the paint on our bodies.

 
One day, while Master N and M were at preschool, I decided to take out our face painting box to paint Master E. We were just about to have lunch so I didn’t want to paint his face. I saw his chubby little feet and couldn’t resist the idea of painting feet.

 
So, instead of face painting, we painted on some socks.

Materials

Face paint
Small makeup brushes & sponges
Towel
Wipes

Method

Lay down a towel to protect your floors.

Start painting socks, avoiding the soles of the feet.

Try different patterns. Just wipe off the paint and start again.

Master E admired his painted socks.

 He even had a go himself.

 
Painted Socks. Instead of face painting – try painting feet. It’s easy for toddlers to see and try themselves.

Another Keep It Short & Simple (KISS) play idea.

E: 1 year, 9 months

The post Painting Feet: Painted Socks by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.