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Painting with Kitchen Scrubbers

August 14, 2013 by Kate 10 Comments

 
 
I was visiting my local Daiso store where everything you see is $2.80. You can imagine how strangely thrilled I was to see a pack including three kitchen cleaners, which included a sponge, soap-free scourer and bristle brush for next to nothing in price.
 
Sure, some people would use these in the kitchen, I use them as tools for crazy painting activities and for sensory exploration.
 
Printing and painting with kitchen cleaners. Great sensory activity for children.
 

You’ve seen us paint with nature and make gifts from painted footprints, but this was to be an experience that was going to be quite unique and hopefully lots of fun. We decided to have a go at painting with kitchen scrubbers.

Here is what I used in the set up – 

  • kitchen cleaners
  • watercolour paints
  • paper
  • patty pans for paints
  • micador splash mat
  • damp cloth to clean up mess
Printing and painting with kitchen cleaners. Great sensory activity for children.
 
Possum instantly went for the simple sponge, probably because it was the most familiar to her. I loved the way she pressed it into the paint and soaked up the two combining colours before stamping it onto the paper. This action reminded me of my previous potato stamping activity.
 
Teachable moment –
  • Discuss colours and how they can change when mixed together
  • Use language to describe the actions they are doing eg. press, press, press
  • Provide praise and encouragement to extend concentration and remaining focused on the the task at hand
 
Printing and painting with kitchen cleaners. Great sensory activity for children.
The scourer was the item I was most curious to see Possum paint with. The hundreds of soft metal curls made really interesting marks on the paper, very different to what impressions were made using the sponge.
 
Teachable moment –
 
  • Children to describe how the markings are different or the same and explain why
  • Provide them time to feel the texture of each item as a sensory experience
Printing and painting with kitchen cleaners. Great sensory activity for children.
 
Next was the bristle brush. In my mind I expected to see tiny paint marks from each hair on the brush, however, I was surprised by the outcome. The bristles were so tough that the printing marks were more of a solid shape. I found that by demonstrating to Possum how she could wave the brush over the page it would make different marks than used in a printing action.
 
Teachable moment – 
 
  • Highlight how the painting marks differ depending on what tool is used
  • Point to various areas of the paper to encourage listening to instructions
Printing and painting with kitchen cleaners. Great sensory activity for children.

And lets face it, sometimes you just need to throw down all the tools and finger paint. The whole activity makes for the perfect sensory exploration and a chance to just be creative and have fun.

Printing and painting with kitchen cleaners. Great sensory activity for children.

Printing and painting with kitchen cleaners. Great sensory activity for children.
 
Possum became quite interested in the paint filled patty pans. This photograph was taken just before she took a big dip and ate it! Whoops. Lucky for non toxic paints.
 
Always a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby.
Printing and painting with kitchen cleaners. Great sensory activity for children.
 
And so the masterpiece is now complete. We hung it up on the collapsed clothes line and secured it with lots of pegs. It has been particularly windy where we are and so every peg was absolutely vital! LOL
 
This piece is currently on display on our fridge and a popular talking point for guests. If you have smaller children then you might like to consider making some edible finger paints.
 
 
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Please make comments below.
 
Kate x
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Filed Under: 0 - 12 months, 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, Art, Art & Craft, Paint, Play, Sensory Play Tagged With: art, paint, painting, toddler

Comments

  1. Danya atDanyaBanya says

    August 14, 2013 at 11:41 am

    What a fun activity! I love that you’ve used mediums with different textures.

    Reply
    • Kate Lloyd says

      August 22, 2013 at 12:45 pm

      Thanks Danya. It was so nice getting Possum to use objects that you don’t normally paint with. LOL

      Reply
  2. Deborah Alter-Rasche says

    August 17, 2013 at 4:29 am

    Yay, go messy little possum! Looks like she’s having a ball 🙂

    Reply
    • Kate Lloyd says

      August 22, 2013 at 12:46 pm

      She really loved it Debs, even the big mouthful of paint didn’t worry her. LOL

      Reply
  3. Penny Whitehouse says

    August 18, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    I need to include different utensils to paint with. Paint brushes are so 2012! :p

    Reply
    • Kate Lloyd says

      August 22, 2013 at 12:47 pm

      Penny your comment made me laugh. Yes, paint brushes are so last year. X

      Reply
  4. Colleen Beck says

    August 23, 2013 at 3:31 am

    What a fun way to explore texture! We are featuring your post this week on Share It Saturday. Thanks for linking up!
    Colleen at Sugar Aunts

    Reply
  5. Jodi Bryant says

    July 7, 2014 at 3:54 pm

    Brilliant! I can barely wait to try making these projects with mt grandkids! Keep em coming! Thanks so much for sharing Kate and possum.sincerely Jodi B.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      July 8, 2014 at 5:43 pm

      What a gorgeous heart you are Jodi. Thank you and I hope to continue to inspire you. 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 20+ {Creative} Play Ideas for Kids in the Kitchen - Kids Activities Blog says:
    May 14, 2014 at 9:00 am

    […] Kitchen scrubbers are transformed for endless painting fun | Laughing Kids Learn […]

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Hello and welcome!
My name is Kate and I am a mum to two little girls, Possum and Boo. We have lots of fun together learning with play at home and are pleased to share some of what we do with you.
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