Today I realized that while Dylan has had a few forays into the wonderful world of art, he has probably not had nearly enough opportunities to express himself creatively. Why? Well, to put it simply, I am terrified of the possible mess and destruction that could result. Before you label me a terrible parent who deprives her toddler of any creative outlet for fear that he might make a mess, let me explain.
When Dylan uses crayons or colored pencils he makes wonderful creations on paper. For about five minutes. Then he wants to take the crayons or colored pencils away from the table to draw on the walls, floors, and any other thing he can find. He is, after all, two and a half.
There is a part of me that wants desperately to introduce him to the joy of paint. I want him to have finger paints so that he can dip, drip, smear, and splatter to his heart’s content. I want to see what he creates, because I know that it will be beautiful no matter what it looks like.
Today, I looked around online for ideas for painting with toddlers while keeping the mess to a minimum. I found two ideas that sound great in theory and may work for some kids. The first involves putting a few different colored blobs of paint on an index card and putting it in a plastic freezer bag. The kids can have fun pushing the paint around inside the bag and you can take the card out, let it dry, and display it with pride. That’s all well and good, assuming that your kid does not open the bag or puncture it. I’m pretty sure that Dylan’s bag would stay closed for about ten seconds even if I were sitting right there beside him. The other idea is to take an oatmeal box, dip broken crayons in paint, put them in there with a sheet of paper, tape the lid closed and let your toddler shake, rattle, and roll to his heart’s content. Like I said, it’s all fun and games until your toddler takes the lid off and shakes the contents of the box everywhere.
I want Dylan to be able to experience paint with his trademark all – encompassing exuberance. If I try to contain the mess and impose rules on the activity like not opening the bag or box, he will be denied the opportunity to experience it authentically. In honor of who he is, I am going to simply let the mess happen. Outdoors. On the lawn. It’s summer, and we have a hose and plenty of towels. The house will be just fine, and I’m sure that the dandelions won’t mind being a different color until the next rain washes them clean.