Invitation to Paint on Balloons

If you ever have any left over balloons from a party and don’t know what to do with them, this invitation is the perfect way to get more use out of them while letting the child paint.

To set this invitation you will need balloons, cooling rack or weights to tie the balloons down to, a tray, tempera paint, and paint brushes. Invite the child to paint on the balloons.

This type of art with children is Action Art. It involves hands on and fully body use where the focus is on the process rather than the finished product. “Action Art projects result in products to be enjoyed and admired, but it is the process of exploration and experimenting that stimulates the child’s learning from discovering and creating…” ~ from Action Art. Every time we provide children with the opportunity to create art all on their own, we are reminded of how engaging and important process art is.

The process with this type of invitation involves a lot of beneficial development. The child will have to figure out how to manipulate the balloon to stay in place in order to paint. They began to notice and ask questions to strategize to effectively paint the balloons. With the canvas being out of the norm, the child will explore and create art in a unique way while challenging their thought process.

All aspects of the process, from painting on different media, standing upright and using small and large muscles, trying to manage the movement of the ballon, gives the child an opportunity to be completely immersed in the process of creating! Exploring art, color, gravity, movement, media, will only enhance a child‘s way of thinking creatively.

And if you have any left over paint don't let it go to waist and let your child paint on paper!