Toddler Art Class: Balloon "Ghosts"

Party balloons make bouncy (sometimes startling) paintbrushes.

Art Project: Painting with balloons
Supplies:
black paper
white paint
balloons

Book:
  Ghosts in the house! / Kohara, Kazuno



 What Kids Do: 
the original idea was that kids would bounce their balloons on the page, making circles, but most kids preferred to swipe broad swaths of paint across the page.

 some used two balloons at a time:

 Some used the knot end of a balloon:

 Some participants liked their balloons too much to let them get all painty, so they painted with their hands instead so their balloons could stay clean.

Hindsight Tips: 
-- it's a good idea to remind parents that balloons can be a choking hazard.
--have the other adults help you blow up the balloons.
--balloons may pop while kids are using them.  Use helium-quality balloons for a longer lasting balloon.
--blow them up only to a small size that kids can hold in their hands.

Adult Challenge:  Don't tell your child that their artwork is pretty.  This is my favorite challenge to issue because it's so difficult and so thought-provoking.  There's an excellent chapter all about this very concept in the book The Artful Parent that I highly recommend reading.