M&M Painting

We have had some strange weather here in Maryland recently.  One day it's 80 degrees, a few days later it's snowing...got to love the month of April!

I use to hear mom's saying all the time that their kids were driving them up the wall, that they dreaded long school breaks or snow days, and I was completely clueless.  I just kind of smiled and nodded.   I had no understanding...Samuel never goes anywhere without me, it's just me and him most days! However, Samuel has recently gotten into this stage where he is bored and wants to go outside ALL THE TIME!  When he doesn't get to a tantrum ensues, then I feel exasperated because the weather forecast just verified my fears...5 more days of snow/cold/wind/etc.  *SIGH*

I also realize that, unlike a lot of my friends whose kids have siblings to play/fight with, I'm Samuel's main source of entertainment.  So entertain I do!

On days we are home (which are only a few between playgroups, library, and MOPS), I have a lot to squeeze in: cleaning house, laundry, making grocery list, phone calls for appointments, cooking, and making sure Samuel is safe, having fun, and doing something that doesn't completely rot his brain!  I've became quite the multi-tasker!

We usually start the day with breakfast, then he gets a half hour on the computer (PBSKids.com is the best website ever, thank you to the creators of it...who knew I would ever love Curious George so much).  During these 30 glorious minutes I: make the beds, sort laundry, throw a load in, do the dishes, load the dishwasher and run it, and wipe down the bathroom counter!

Then I spend the next 2 hours entertaining Samuel.  I try to get him to led and I just follow, but he does get bored and frustrated (since he isn't a big talker still!), so I usually have a trick up my sleeve.  We usually play blocks, play cars, color, and play kitchen. 

About this point, I usually see the meltdown point so I pull out a snack, get him situated at the table, and pull out my trick of the day.  Last week we tried...M&M Painting!!!!!!  What a great idea, right??

The concept is simple: a few pieces of paper, a few cups of water (I just used plastic disposable ones), a paintbrush (I bought a 10 pack at the Dollar Tree for $1), and a pack of M&Ms.  Please let me note at this point...I DO NOT recommend pastel M&Ms, it was all we had on hand because of Easter, but it made the paint very very very very light.  Samuel didn't care AT ALL!  He just loved this activity!

It's a neat idea too in that Samuel helped me sort colors (it's a struggling point for him, all colors are blue and purple...he just has those two colors stuck in his head), but he really enjoyed sorting.  Then he really enjoyed the next part...putting them in the cup by color!!  Give the M&Ms a minute or so, swish them around in the water, and you have murky water paint.  While not overly bright in color, it's still neat, non-toxic, and fun to create!  While a five or six year old might not be impressed, my two year old was!  Oooooooh!  He kept saying! 

Putting the M&Ms in the cup!

Swishing it around

Pink and green paint

Oooooooooh! 

Because the paint was so light, we tried another idea...using tissue paper as paint (I read both of these online, I'm not that creative!!!).  You just tear a piece of colored tissue paper off, and paint it with water.  It leaves that color behind.  Samuel enjoyed that too!

It was a fun activity, and just what we needed for another morning stuck in the house!  Samuel had a blast, we avoided a meltdown, and I got to eat a few M&Ms while Samuel sorted!  How can you go wrong???