Drawing and crafting with children can be fun, but it often makes parents nervous. In the rush of creativity, the child spills paint everywhere and ends up getting himself or herself dirty. There are also other problems: painting materials that you have used just a couple of times dry out over time, so you can't paint with them anymore and have to buy new ones. This can be solved with a couple of simple workarounds.
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Quick clean up
Clutter is one of the most annoying things parents have to face while they are painting and crafting with their child. It's hard to get spills of glitter or beads off the floor or desk, yet sticky garment peelers can do the job in a couple of minutes. The rollers can be replaced with play-doh or other modeling paste.
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Everything in its place
If you watch cooking shows, you've heard of the concept of "everything in its place". Seasoned chefs arrange the tools and ingredients they need on the table before cooking to avoid having to panic and search for them while stirring the sauce.
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The same principle also applies to crafts: Before you sit down with your child at the table, take some time to prepare and assemble all the materials and tools. Put them on a tray or in a box.
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Brushes from sponges
Instead of buying sponge brushes, make your own set for all occasions. All you need is a few sponges. It's a good idea to have sponges made from different materials. Different textures make drawings even more interesting. But normal foam sponges will work just as well. Cut out various shapes and sizes of sponges and put clothes pegs on them so that the sponges are easier to hold.
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Glue dispenser
It's not easy to calculate the right amount of liquid glue. If you use too much, the paper will get wet and tear, and the glue will get on your skin, clothes, and table. The solution to this problem is simple: pour the glue into a small container, put a sponge in it (if you haven't made them all into sponge brushes yet!), cover and let it sit for a few minutes. Afterward, place the paper on top of the sponge. A small but sufficient amount of glue will remain on it.
Paint from the marker pens
You have told your child many times to put the caps on their markers, but they keep forgetting, lose the caps and the markers dry up? Don't rush to throw them away. Fill some jars with water, put the markers in them and leave them in there for a while. The water will turn colored and you'll have great paints!
A way to store your colors.
Paints also dry out over time, especially if you forget to cover them. To avoid this, store your liquid paints in a dosage bottle like for soap or sauce. This will also make it easier to measure out the right amount of paint.
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