Messy Monday - Sponge Paint a Flower Garden

Welcome to the 14th Messy Monday - a day to get messy and artsy with our kids!  Here's a simple little spring/summer project with a great finish - sponge paint a flower garden.  Anyone do a Messy Monday project last week?  Link it up in the comments!

Here are a couple fun books to check out from your library for inspiration:

Eric Carle's The Tiny Seed

 

Gail Gibbons' From Seed to Plant

Lois Ehlert's Waiting for Wings

On to the project...

Read some flower books, go to the greenhouse, and discuss different types of flowers with your child(ren).  Determine what types of flowers your child(ren) want to create.  

Talk about what shapes you'll need to make those flowers - you may want to draw flowers first to get an idea of different shapes you may need.  Using a scissors, cut shapes out of a dry sponge.

 

Set up supplies.

 Cover table in newspaper, put tempera paint on a cookie sheet for mixing and stamping, set up paintbrushes and water (re-use plastic containers for water cups).

Start with green and yellow paint - let your child(ren) spread the paint on the cookie sheet with a damp paintbrush - make a green-yellow and green.

 

 

Choose a shape and press it into the paint and print the grass.

 

Choose a shape and press it the paint and print the stems - we used clothespins with some shapes for a different application techique.

 

Choose a shape and press it into the paint for the leaves.

Spread paint for the center of the flowers - choose a shape and press it into the paint for the center of the flowers.

 

Spread paint for the petals - choose shapes and press it into the paint for the center of the flowers.

Repeat process, change colors, create different types of flowers or the same type of flower.

 

When the littles are done, they will have created a flower garden of their own - you could also do this on notecards and do a single flower with or without grass - cute!

I'm linking up to some of my favorite parties - check them out!