Pretty patterns and coloursGiant rainbow - young children are fascinated by rainbows. Make a giant one by painting a large sheet of paper with water, then adding big arcs of colour (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). The colours will slowly blend into each other. Silhouette pictures - using a thick brush, cover a sheet of paper with a bright wash of watery paint. Allow to dry. Then, using a thinner brush and black paint, paint a simple picture over the top. Try deep blue with black fishes; rich green with a black cat; or bright yellow with a black teddy bear. Your own abstract - make up runny paint in different colours and drop several large blobs onto paper. Then, using a straw, get your child to blow the paint into funny lines and squiggles so all the colours mix and overlap. Snowflake pictures - fold a circle of paper in half, then half again. Snip out some shapes and open out. Clip the snowflake on top of another sheet of paper and fill in the shapes by patting with a paint-soaked sponge or rag. Allow to dry, then remove the snowflake to reveal the pattern.
 Even a young child will enjoy painting a simple still life
Fruit and flowers - even a young child will enjoy painting a simple still life. Put two or three pieces of fruit, or jug with a few flowers, on a table and suggest painting a picture of it. Praise your child's artistic ability as she draws. Adding a little PVA glue to paint will give it a thicker texture.
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