This is the second in a series of periodic posts in which I test out easy, low-mess, low-parental-involvement activities for young children to do.  In the first, I tested, um, dry pasta in cake pans.  Today’s somewhat more promising test:  using paintbrushes (instead of the included water pens) with Aquadoodle mats.

Intention
The children will paint using water, and therefore satisfying their painting instincts without making me crazy with THE PAINT THE PAINT MY GOD IT’S EVERYWHERE
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It is pouring rain as I type this, and I have two 3-year-olds to entertain indoors. Hee. Do you like how I’m implying that if it weren’t for the rain we’d be out in the healthful fresh air? Even if it weren’t pouring rain, I’d still have two 3-year-olds to entertain, and for at least part of each day I’m looking for ways they can entertain themselves while I get some work done. A girl can dream.

And so this is the first in what I hope will be a series of periodic posts in which I test out easy, low-mess, low-parental-involvement activities for young children to do. This is new territory for me, so I hope you’ll have mercy with the lameness of ideas. And could you please generate some of that mercy right away, because the first activity I “thought up” was Dry Pasta in Cake Pans.

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Here is how crafty and artistic I am:  not crafty and artistic.  And so if you have been wondering to yourself, “Goodness, how DOES she do craft projects with FIVE children?,” the answer is “HA HA HA HA HA!”

Still, the children do like to do crafts, and so now and then I make an effort.  I don’t have much patience with messes, and it’s best if nothing watery or painty or glittery can be spilled by a wandering toddler or careless older child.  And I don’t want to spend much time on it, either.  Here are a few crafts that have satisfied even my picky, reluctant nature:

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