Salt Painting

Ahhhhh, summer vacation! Sunshine, popsicles, and PJ's until noon... or is that last one just me?? Even though it's a pleasure to relish in the lack of hustle and bustle that comes with the school year, the lack of routine can cause its own chaos. Lazy days equals restless kids and restless kids equals disaster! Luckily it doesn't take any specialty materials (or a dreaded trip to the store with kids in tow) to occupy your children with making a beautiful form of artwork: Salt paintings!

You will need:

• Salt
• White Glue
• Liquid Food Color
• Eyedropper
• Cardstock (or any thick paper)

First, you need to prep the paper by having your kids doodle on it with glue. It does not need to "look" like anything in particular. Fill in the center of the paper with the design but try to encourage students not to make any overly large puddles or pools of glue.

After finishing the glue doodle, lay the paper on a tray (or well-loved cookie sheet) and sprinkle the glue liberally with salt. Shake off the excess. Let dry completely. If you are strapped on time and need to continue without waiting several hours you can set the paper on a cookie sheet in the oven at the lowest possible heat for about 10 minutes and it will dry to perfection.

Add the food coloring to a small amount of water. The more color you add the more vibrant the paintings will be, but there isn't a magic formula or ratio of color to water.

Using the eyedropper have the kids add drops of color directly on the salt lines. The color will spread along the lines and blend with the other colors as they are added. The salt lines can handle quite a bit of liquid without dissolving but it's best to add just a drop or two at a time.

For younger children or for children who struggle with fine motor skills this is a fantastic exercise for those hand muscles. 

The results? Magic!

What quick & easy projects do you have in your summer repertoire?