We all know

that I am not the crafty sort, at least when it comes to the traditional definition of arts and crafts. However, since Easter is nearly upon us, I thought it was high time we try something else with the Little Guy.  I wanted to make Easter cards for all of those near and dear (no, no, close your mailboxes and keep reading), so after perusing a friend's blog, unabashedly completely copied her idea for cute cards from the Quinn (it really is an easy and fun idea!).

I had originally thought that I might make small cards, stamp them with an egg and have the kids color them in.  However, that sort of limits the design creativity and would really be a much smaller canvas than Nicholas might enjoy.  After reading about the above activity, I figured he would absolutely love it and spend hours painting.  

Well, I tried.

The Q. had other ideas.  He loved the idea of finger painting giant Easter egg cards for friends, but realized after one that it is very labor intensive and took away from his construction vehicle play time.  It is also much more fun to randomly smear it everywhere than on just one small paper canvas.  His first (and only) card for Baby Nate was completed with much love and fun.  However, he realized that Caitlin was making different designs for the cards she was painting and this annoyed him and ended the activity a whopping 10 minutes after it started.

It was originally supposed to be an activity for Nicholas to undertake while I took Kelsey out for a bit in the afternoon.  However, the prep was a little bit more work than just opening up the paints and letting him have at it.  We finally tried out new eco-friendly finger paints and despite the fact that it takes a few minutes to get them ready to use, I am now officially a huge fan.

Unlike other fingerpaints, they are not pre-mixed.  There are 5 colors that do not seem bright in the jar, but when mixed (1:1 ratio) with water, turned out to be extremely cheerful and perfect holiday colors. One only has to mix what is needed.  I ended up making way too much and even at that, I only used about 1.5 teaspoons of the powder.  

The not-pre-mixed thing may seem like a giant hassle, but in reality is quite useful.  Nothing can dry out and Nicholas can't randomly grab a handful that effectively uses the entire jar in one sitting.  In fact, if I had to estimate, I'd say we easily have 20+ uses left in each jar, as I will use much less next time.  All colors are naturally derived and even though the paints sat around in the dishes for several hours, equipment (and table) clean up was a snap. I would think they are perfect for taking overseas if you don't want to take all of the ingredients and make your own.  There is no worry about leakage or drying out or being rejected in the mail due to the water content.

Despite the fact that he was not super into the activity this time, I think it might bode well for other future holiday cards. Even with his relatively short attention span, he really enjoyed it and loved the idea of making the cards. In fact, the biggest obstacle was encouraging him to wear a t-shirt, though the paints washed out so easily (and he was quite neat with his painting, as far as his clothes were concerned) that it really wasn't terribly necessary.  Overall, a great activity for a 3 year old and a very easy way to make a unique and fun card for anyone.  However, now that I am really aware of his attention span with this particular activity, I'm thinking maybe we should start the Christmas cards next week….

 

*Generally I would never refer someone to PBK, as one can usually find lower prices at many other online stores.  However, the paints are nearly half their original price right now and qualify for free shipping, so it might be the best bet.