The high chair, the floor, the art smock, the clothes, the face, the hands. It CAN be cleaned!
A lot of parents that I talk to, won't introduce art time with their infants "because it's so messy!" When Jonah and I hosted a playgroup for infants and young toddlers ages 0-2, it was well attended but only a couple of the parents let their children participate in the art project I had planned. Even when someone was inviting them- please make a mess of my house, I will clean the tile and trays and shelves- they still said "that's too messy."
When I worked in daycare, the parents would often tell me "I'm glad you do so many activities with the kids. I'm not brave enough to tackle that mess in *my* house." I wanted to ask them if it looked like my nursery had just had ten kids painting in it (most often the answer would have been no. I kept a tidy room!)
The truth is, it isn't that messy. It takes about five minutes to set up, five minutes to clean up. A couple of rags and some water do the trick nicely. Art, such as finger painting, offers your infant a sensory experience, and it also provides a bit of fun for you (if you let it!) Not to mention the end product really brightens up the kitchen when hung on the fridge.
I decided that since we brought the high chair back from Grandma and Grandpa's house, it was time that Evie created her first fingerpaint masterpiece. I set the paints in front of her and used the first three colors that she grabbed (pink, blue, and orange.) I like to use crayola paints, because all of their products are washable and non-toxic. I also like to mix just a small drop of Dawn into any paint that I use, because if it does get on clothes, it comes out easier.
I used an old tee-shirt to cover up her clothing, poured some paint directly onto some white printer paper, and let her at it. We started with the pink...
Then finally the blue...
Now that wasn't so messy was it????? But just remember....
it CAN be cleaned! And it was worth it!
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