Also known as my attempt to get the kids to spend more time outdoors!
This activity happened in October 2020. we were so incredibly lucky here in Japan with quarantine measures - life could still go on and we could still go to parks. I do believe Japan is paying for it now though.
Anyhow, I've often found that the kids get really bored really quickly at the park if there isn't anything obvious to do. They can spend ages on a playground, but give them an empty field and a ball and they run out of steam in about 10 minutes. So I have been experimenting with various ideas on how to make the time in the park a bit more interesting and how to get them to stay outside for longer without them noticing it and this was one idea that I had.
I had a bunch of wood pieces left over from various DIY projects that have been happening in the house, so I cut off the ends to look like houses. The kids were thrilled at the thought of painting their own little houses and they had a ball arranging their houses into a little city once they finished. You can see their houses drying in the photo and they used some acrylic markers to draw the windows and door details afterwards.
Top tip 1: find a place in the park close to a water source where you are allowed to top up/ refill/ get rid of the water for the painting.
Top tip 2: save those frappuccino plastic cups with the domed lids for your next painting party. They are brilliant! They don't let the water spill and the paint brush goes through the hole intended for the straw.... win-win!