We are in the midst of a massive remodel job in what was once our breezeway (which doubled as an orange playroom) and garage (which housed mostly junk – not a car). When complete it will be one big area, housing a beautiful new playroom and a den, separated by a half wall, complete with a twelve-foot ceiling and a ton of windows letting the natural light flood the room. The nights leading up to the scheduled demolition of the old rooms we all grabbed markers, crayons and pencils and went out to have some fun in our underwear.
We drew, doodled and wrote all over the room that would soon be turned to rubble. It was a blast for our toddler to do what, to that point, has been a major no-no in her life – writing on the walls! She wrote her name, made a rainbow and drew stick figures of each of us while my wife wrote “Bye Bye Walls” and “Ugly Room!” next to her caricatures of the four of us. It was a unique and one of a kind way to spend a couple hilarious hours together being totally silly. I took pictures of everything to remember the day we got to scribble on the house.
If you are planning to paint a room, or better yet wallpaper or remodel, consider letting your kids go to town on the walls in that room. It is fairly exhilarating experience, doing something that is pretty much never allowed. I wish I had paints to make some “pretty little trees” or pretend to be Jackson Pollock and splatter paint and dribble dots all over the floor.
Naturally, this idea is only relevant when having work done (or working on a home project yourself, of course) but should that day ever come, remember this story. Your kids will thank you for the chance to make art that is big, bold and on the walls!
Painting your Child’s Face for Halloween
Prepping and Painted Stained Surfaces