DIY Sensory Baby Painting

One of the best things about AJ now having a good grip on tummy time is that I can encourage it through a range of activities now. 

Normally the following activity is something that I do with toddlers when its a wet, rainy and day outside to minimise the amount of mess as I've always done painting as an outside activity. However, this is also great for babies. With both toddlers and babies it helps develop their fine motor skills and it's also a sensory activity for them. Plus at the end you get a beautiful artwork that you can hang on your fridge, send to someone they love or use it for other projects. 

MATERIALS:

• Large ziplock bags
• A4 paper (can be white or coloured)
• Paint
• Masking Tape (optional)

TIP: This is not an activity that can be prepped in advance. If you leave the paint on the paper too long the paper becomes soggy and easily tears. It's best to be prepared 5 minutes before at most. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place paint on top of A4 paper

   

   
   

2. Give ziplock bag a shake so it's opened wide and then slide paper and paint into the bag. Don't worry if the pain smudges a little bit. Seal up the ziplock bag. 
3. This is where the masking tape is optional. You can tape the ziplock bag to the floor or to the tray of their high chair or the top of a table. However you do not need to do this. In fact for babies they have an easier time painting if it's not taped down when they're under 12 months. 
4. If you decide not to tape down the ziplock bag you can just place your baby in tummy time or put them in a high chair. If you choose the tummy time option for your baby I find a rolled up towel under their chest helps them as they can use their arms a lot easier. If they're a toddler a high chair or a table will do. 
5. Hand over the ziplock bag and let them go at it. Don't be worried about scrunching or tasting as the paper will flatten out and the ziplock bag prevents them from eating any paint so long as they don't bite through it. 
6. Once they're done, open the ziplock bag slightly and block into it. This will help to unstick the plastic from the paper. 
7. Remove the paper and let it dry. 
8. What you do once it's dry is up to you. You can hang it up on the fridge (which is what we have done). You can send it to someone they love or you can use it for other projects. 

And that it is. 

What was your favourite art or craft thing to do as a child?