First, I taped the paper down with paint tape. You can pick it up at Target, Home Depot, or anywhere that sells wall paint. Doing this keeps the paper steady for young children.
Next, I gave J two paint brushes to encourage use of both hands, dabbed a little paint on them, and let him have at it! His artwork was developed using a combination of paintbrushes and fingerpainting. When the painting was dried I folded the painting in two so that it was the outside of the birthday card. I then used my Cricut to cut out the words "Happy Birthday!" and glued them to the inside.
By the time he was finished, paint was everywhere, but the final product was totally worth it! Grandma Y. loved her card.
Helpful hints:
*Give young children a paci to keep them from eatting the paint. This can also be helpful when coloring or using playdoh.
*Place a big or large shirt over nice clothes to minimize the mess.
*A sink full of warm water and/or babywipes make cleaning hands easy.
