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Activity 10: Jar Painting


Our children are used to seeing us throw things in the bin. Wrappers, bottles, boxes, all sorts of things that should ideally be reused because that is a greener, more eco-friendly option. Often we don’t have the patience to reuse these and we don’t want to horde things we won’t use. So we bin them. It is the easier option, but not the best option. We can tell our children about saving the planet all we want, but if we are not doing it ourselves, there is no chance our children will do it either.
So we don’t need to buy any more pots for little plants, vases, pen/pencil holders, toothbrush holders, hair-brush holders, jewelry boxes, spice jars, and containers for knick-knacks like safety-pins, paper pins, hair clips etc. We just repurpose the glass jars we keep getting every time we buy coffee, pickles and jams. It’s a small step in the right direction.

The easiest way to make used glass jars presentable is to paint them. Painting jars teaches three key skills:
1. Motor Skills: Holding the brush is a little different to holding a pencil or a crayon. Painting helps the child gain better control on how they move their hand. This practice of eye-hand coordination improves their physical and mental development.
2. Attention to detail: Each stoke of the brush needs to go a certain way for the end result to be as desired. It requires the child to concentrate and plan their next stroke.
3. Patience: Waiting for the paint to dry before the next coat or before adding decorations is a lesson in itself.
Apart from all of this, painting is known to have a great calming effect on children who struggle to express themselves and children who find it difficult to sit still.

Materials required:

newspaper: to save the table beneath from paint spills

paints: poster paints, or any thick paint will do

brush: younger children will need chunkier brushes

used glass jars: wash them, dry them and peel off any labels to provide an even surface

decoration: use what you have; a strip of lace, a glittery nail polish, stickers, bows that have fallen off dresses…


Activity:

1. Spread the newspaper on the table, place the paint, the brush and the jar on the newspaper
2. Show the child how to paint by painting a small area of the jar yourself. If needed, hold the child’s hand and guide them on how to move the brush over the jar. Make sure you start from the top of the jar, so that you can hold the jar till you reach the very bottom.
3. Allow the child to complete painting on their own.
4. Explain the need to wait for the paint to dry. Show them how to check if the paint has dried without leaving too many visible finger prints on the surface.
5. Let them lead the plan for how to decorate the jar. Make suggestions and let them choose. Ask if they want to use stickers, or if they want to write their name on the jar, etc.
6. Once the jar is decorated, think of how best to reuse it. You could fill it with water and insert a money plant sapling. The plant will grow in mild to poor light as well, so you can keep it on a study table or in the bathroom.

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