Watch: How I Manage the Art Center This simple preschool watercolor art activity is not only fun, but it also strengthens the hands, getting them ready for writing! Using pipettes strengthens the pincer grasp, important for future writing skills. In this activity, we set the paper vertically so that the paint could drip down the paper, creating a waterfall effect. It was a huge hit with our preschoolers! It might seem like a challenge, but truly it can be so easy! You might recall these art activities that add extra fine motor:
Two-Ingredient Pig Painting Craft Marble-Painted Mittens 3-Dimensional Apple Trees Toddler Shape Art
Directions for This Preschool Watercolor Art Activity
Prepare the Paint
tempera paint paint cups pipettes paper
There are many different ways you could attach the paper horizontally. We use acrylic sign holders. You could also attach this to your easel as an independent activity. I like to use a couple of different colors of paint for some contrast and color mixing. You will want to thin your paint a bit with water so that it moves in and out of the pipette with ease. I chose the consistency that was in between tempera paint and watercolors.
Put your acrylic stand (or whatever you are using) on the table, on top of a tray. The tray is important for catching the paint that runs off the paper. Clip a fresh sheet of paper to the stand. Place a pipette in each container of paint. If your children have never used pipettes before, you might need to demonstrate how to squeeze and release the bulb to move the paint in and out of them. We love using pipettes for many activities, including:
Transferring water to ice cube trays Dropping watercolors onto paper towels Coloring tissue paper snowflakes
Working on a vertical surface puts the wrist into an extended position, important for building fine motor skills. You can read more about the benefits in my easel activities post. What happens as the paint runs down the paper, especially when different colors are involved? Another benefit of this activity is that it’s process art. That means there are few directions and no expected outcome. Children can explore as they wish. They can drop their paint from the top of the paper, from the middle of the paper, or even towards the bottom. They can use all of the colors involved or only one. When all of your children are finished, each piece of art will look different. Another plus to this preschool watercolor art is that it can be done anytime of the year. However, if you wanted to tie it in with a season, you could cut the paper into shapes, such as leaves, apples, pumpkins, flowers, etc. When the children are finished squeezing paint onto their papers, remove them from the stand and let dry. Here is my Privacy Policy
