I’m a huge fan of kids painting, as it is great for their development on so many levels. Think creativity, pencil grip, developing hand strength, crossing the midline, bi-lateral coordination, gross motor skills, fine motor skills – you name it, painting helps develop it!

The thing is that it can sometimes feel like the same thing over and over, so to mix things up a little, we decided to do some Tape Resist Painting. After all, it’s very straight forward, and we had all the items needed at home already.

Here’s What We Used:

• Canvas
• Packing Tape (you could also try painter’s tape, masking tape, washi tape, stickers, labels etc)
• Paints
• Paintbrush
• Easel (Here are some of the benefits to Painting on a Vertical Surface)

You can do a tape resist on paper, but you would need it to be a decent thickness, and you would need to consider the tape that you are using. I personally find it so much easier on a canvas.

Also, the kids LOVE to use a canvas. I think it makes them feel that little bit more special.

Here’s What We Did:

First, we taped off some sections of the canvas.

We were just doing basic colour blocking so it was simple enough for the kids to create their own design and do each step themselves

Then paint everything that is white.

You can encourage crossing the midline by placing paint on their non-dominant side

When everything is painted you can carefully remove the tape.

The paint doesn’t have to be completely dry when you do this step, but your child may find it easier…. if they have the patience to wait!

And then, you’re all done! It’s as simple as that.

A masterpiece to hang on your wall… or give to your teacher, in this case

Although, you can certainly let them add their own style!