Mirror Rain Painting

I loved opening the windows and letting the rain be our soundtrack for this morning. I kept the lights dim and let the weather dictate the mood of our house as we quietly started our day. Our cat, Linus, was taking full advantage of it. He usually is found either hovered over his food dish or sleeping in a little heap under our covers, but today the rain was calling his name. I often forget how calming nature’s music can be.

The rain quickly became a theme for our day as I gathered together some items for our fun rain painting project - a couple of old mirrors, paints, brushes and other mark-making tools. What’s great about this activity is:

• It’s fun for all ages;

• it’s process-based and open-ended, so no instruction needed;

• there’s very little prep, mess or waste;

• it supports facial awareness in babies

• it encourages sensory stimulation; and

• demonstrates cause and effect.

Step One: Paint

My daughter chose washable, glitter paints to cover her mirror. She experimented with brushes and stamps on her surface and then enjoyed wiping away sections with Q-Tips. For my son, I elected to make an edible paint by simply mixing a couple tablespoons of yogurt and a drop or two of food coloring, per color. However, there are so many baby-safe finger paints out there. Here are a few more examples:

• This recipe uses potato flakes, food coloring and water.

• This recipe uses whipped cream and food coloring.

• For a more natural recipe, this one combines rice flour, arrowroot powder, water and pureed berries or vegetables.

Step Two: Mono Print (optional)

When the kids finished painting, we made a simple mono print of their work. This step is optional, but if your child is like mine, they will want a copy to keep. Simply place a piece of paper on top of the freshly painted surface, give it a gentle rub and then remove to reveal a beautiful copy of your child’s work.

Step Thee: Rain Paint

Now let nature take its turn! Place the mirrors outside in an uncovered area and watch the colors run together and turn into a swirly rainbow of color. We had fun looking out the window and checking on their progress over time. After they’ve been sufficiently rained on, its time to hike up your rain boots, grab your umbrella and bring those paintings inside. Give them a quick rinse and they’ll be ready for whatever you use them for next.

A perfect ending to our day is a little bit of sunshine and some puddle jumping. Thank you, rain!

I'd like to know, how do you chase away the rainy day blues? Also, let me know if you give this project a try!