Balloon Painting for Little Ones!

Lots of toddlers enjoyed some good messy fun at the library this Tuesday. After being inspired by Ellen Stoll Walsh’s picture book, Mouse Paint, each young artist created colorful paintings using sensory balloons. Children enjoyed being a part of the storytime by pinning the dots on Dog from Dog’s Colorful Day and recognizing their felt shape from those illustrated in It Looked Like Spilt Milk. Every child got a special opportunity to come up and share in the story.
After storytime we introduced a tub full of sensory balloons. Kids tried to guess what was inside by playing with the different textures. (Hint: flour, hair gel, and bird seed. Any non toxic household item would work just as well.) Each child chose his favorite 2 textures and got to work with the tempera paints. We bounced the balloons in the paint. We rolled, dragged, and dotted them across the page. We made tie-dye swirls and polka dots by mixing the colors on the paper. By the end we were also using our fingers and hands!

The value of this sensory play should not be underestimated. When children partake in this sort of self- directed play in a pro social environment like a library, they engage their creativity and develop fine/gross motor skills, cognitive development, social development and self-esteem. Plus, it’s fun! Check out more photos on our flickr page.