Summer Fun 2014 - Multi-Media Doodle Table

We often cover the table in paper for day long, open ended, doodling with crayons, or colored pencils.  Just for a change, yesterday, I added a few more mediums to the mix.

First I covered the table with a plastic backed, disposable, paper tablecloth.  Then, I marked off a bunch of cattywampus squares with painter's tape.  Finally, I dug through the craft closet, and pulled out tempera paints, water colors, pastel chalk, markers, and our usual crayons, and colored pencils.

I told the girls, that within each shape they were free to draw, or paint whatever they wanted, whether it was a picture, a series of pictures, shapes, or just color - but they could only use one medium in each marked off space.  So, if they wanted to switch from water colors to tempera paint for instance, they needed to move to a different space.

They had a great time experimenting with each medium, working away, circling the table for more than an hour.  In fact, given enough time, I'm fairly certain there would not have been a blank inch left to be seen.

The only things I might do differently next time, would be to cover the table with butcher's paper, instead of a paper table cloth, to work better with wet paints, and I might set out a greater variety of paints in lieu of the largely ignored crayons, and colored pencils.  It's more fun to experiment with a medium you don't use everyday.