Materials
- Large fingerpaint paper (coated paper is best for this activity)
- Watercolors or tempera paints
- Large trays or cookie sheets
- A rainy day
What to do
1. Give each child a piece of large fingerpaint paper.
2. Encourage the children to fingerpaint freely with tempera paints or watercolors.
3. After the children have finished painting, place the paintings on a large tray.
4. Bring the trays outside into the rain. Watch as the rain falls on the paintings and talk about what is happening. Ask the children questions such as "What is happening when the raindrops hit the paper?" or "Why is the paint splattering?"
5. Leave the paintings in the rain for two or three minutes, and then bring them back inside and allow them to dry.
6. After the paintings have dried, ask the children to describe how the rain affected their paintings. Record their answers and display them along with the rain paintings.
More to do
Instead of painting, sprinkle dry tempera powder on the paper and place it on a tray. Put it outside in the rain and leave it out until it is soaked through. Bring it back inside and let it dry.
Music: Sing rain songs (see below) while watching the rain "paint" the paper.
Instructions
1. Pour 1 cup (125 g) flour and 1/2 cup (125 g) salt into each plastic baggie. Thenadd 1/2 cup (120 ml) water and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil.2. Zip the bags closed, pressing out most of the air.3. Encourage the children to squish by hand until it makes a nice dough.4. Ask the children to unzip their bags and remove the dough.5. Show the children how to knead the dough.6. Encourage them to explore as with any playdough. Store the dough in thesame baggie.
