This Is How We Paint...

Painting in preschool is one of the most popular activities that we offer.  It can also be a big mess!  It has taken some time and some trial and error, but we have finally refined our system so that painting is easy!  It no longer takes 1 teacher to keep the center open and going.  It is pretty much hands free for us, so that we can be engaged with other children  facilitating their play.  Here is how it works...

First, you sign up for a turn to paint.  The children are quite good at knowing whose turn it is next!

After their turn is over, their name is marked out and the next child is invited to paint.  Sometimes they are ready, sometimes they have found a different activity to do and pass their turn to the next in line.  

Then you put on your paint smock and get started creating your masterpiece

We try to get by while each child is painting and ask them about their piece.  We say things like, "Tell me about your painting".    We encourage them to talk about their work and share with us what they are thinking as they paint.   We are careful not to make assumptions about their work.  We also avoid comments like, "It is pretty".  Instead we talk about the colors they use and the brush strokes they employ.  

When your turn is over, it is your job to wash hands and contact the next person on the list.  Then you help them put on their smock and get started painting.  A teacher does take the wet painting off, but the children get new paper.  We haven't found a safe way for the children to transport dripping wet paper across the classroom yet!

Painting can be a community project.  

I love to see the children sharing ideas and even colors.  T didn't have a color on his side of the easel that he needed (black), so he just borrowed it from K's side!

When the day is done, and we reflect on center time, we share our work. 

 Here T is telling the group all about his painting.  The children love to ask the artist questions about how they created the piece and the artist LOVES the spotlight!

We find that the sharing part of the process encourages the artist to think about and plan their work.  They know that there will be questions about the process and tools that they used.