Ball Painting

What you need:

• assortment of small balls (tennis ball, golf ball, etc.)
• cardboard grocery box
• white paper
• masking tape
• tempera paint in primary colors
• 3 small bowls
• plastic spoons
• smock

What to do:

1. Put the balls in the box one at a time. Have your child shake the box back and forth and round and round. Ask which balls move fast and which move slowly.
2. Line the bottom of the box with paper and secure with tape. Then help your child spoon the yellow, blue, and red tempera paint into the three bowls. Talk about the different colors. Guide her to place a ball in each bowl and to use the spoon to turn it over. Continue until the three balls are completely coated with paint.
3. Ask your child to place one of the balls in the box and shake it from side to side and back and forth. Talk about the interesting paint paths the ball makes as it rolls.
4. Put in a fresh sheet of paper and invite your child to put the ball with the yellow paint in the box and shake it around. Then she can put the red ball in motion and take it out. Finally, she can roll around the blue ball. Describe the exciting new colors your child has made.
5. For an exciting finale, coat all the balls with paint. Then put them in the box, close the top, and let your child shake the box vigorously up and down. Open the box to see the colorful explosion inside!

Learning benefits:

• fine-motor skills
• gross-motor skills
• discovering that colors can combine to make new colors