Objective

By the end of this lesson, Ava will have explored her creativity through free painting and stencil art with watercolors, developing her fine motor skills and understanding of colors and shapes.

Materials and Prep

• Watercolor paints
• Watercolor paper
• Stencils (shapes, animals, etc.)
• Water cup for rinsing brushes
• Brushes (small and large)
• Paper towels for cleaning up

Before the lesson, set up a clean workspace with all materials easily accessible. Make sure the water cup is filled with clean water and that the stencils are ready to use.

Activities

• Free Painting:

  Ava will start by using the watercolor paints to create her own masterpiece. Encourage her to use different colors and let her imagination run wild. Ask her to tell a story about her painting as she works.

• Stencil Fun:

  Next, Ava will choose some stencils and place them on the watercolor paper. She can then use a brush to paint over the stencils, creating fun shapes and designs. After removing the stencils, she can see the cool patterns left behind!

• Mixing Colors:

  Introduce Ava to color mixing by encouraging her to blend two different colors together on her palette or paper. Ask her to observe what new color she creates and to name it!

• Nature Art:

  If possible, take a short walk outside to collect leaves or flowers. Ava can use these natural items as stencils by painting over them to create beautiful prints on her paper.

Talking Points

• "What colors do you see? Can we mix them to make a new color?"
• "How does it feel to paint with a brush? Is it different from using your fingers?"
• "What shape is this stencil? Can you tell me what it reminds you of?"
• "Look at the pattern we made! What do you think it looks like?"