Mr. Incredible’s suit took on a whole new look with paint by dots!
I confess. This wasn’t even my idea. As my four-year-old bounced room to room looking for something to do, he finally looked up at me and said, “Mom, can you do that paint by dots thing for The Incredibles?
Real talk – His suit threw me for a loop. But after a few tries, we finally had an outline to work with.
And you know what? My preschooler needed to watch me struggle a little with the drawing demonstrating how I didn’t give up and the self-talk I used when frazzled.
Overall, five stars for this paint by dots!
Painting and The Incredibles. A Winning Combination
My preschooler has not taken this costume off since it came home with us. Yes, he even sleeps in it. He has also watched The Incredibles One and Two many, many times.
This interest is his JAM, and I am here to ride the wave.
I knew this would be a win for a few reasons.
- It was HIS idea.
- He enjoys painting.
- Paint by Number is also on repeat.
When preparing activities, it is helpful to think about what our children enjoy and what actions light them up.
Google images are my best friend
Good news! We don’t need to rely on memory to make an image come to life.
Before I do any drawing (like this Pup Tower) or painting (like this Elmer painting) I like to first Google, easy ______ drawing. – Gets me started every time!
My four-year-old watched me draw, try again, and remind myself not to give up.
Is this an exact drawing? NOPE. But my preschooler was pleased, and that is what I was aiming for. – success!
Fine and Gross Motor Skills for the WIN!
This painting activity has a few major perks. Here, we are working on fine motor and gross motor skills simultaneously.
Fine motor helps with dexterity and strengthens small hand muscles for writing, buttoning, tying, and other small movements down the road. My preschooler is working on fine motor strength as he grips the paintbrush.
If you are new to fine motor skills, start here.
My preschooler is working on his gross motor skills by painting on a verticle surface. Here, he is using his arm strength to paint. This builds muscle for skills such as throwing, jump roping, and climbing.
RELATED: Looking for art supplies? I have you covered!
The details on the paint
You know this is not our first go-around with paint.
Things don’t necessarily get mess-free over time. You’ll notice he has a little black paint on his pants.
Instead, it is more like the system of how to paint (on the actual paper) becomes more refined with practice.
Setting up painting – easier than you think
To begin, I add the paint into a muffin tin. I also like to leave a few circles open to mix the colors.
I hang the builder’s paper on the way before the paper that he will paint on. You can find this in the painting aisle of more home improvement stores.
RELATED: We use this paper in so many ways! Visit our ART CATEGORY.
Supplies:
Just a few supplies will help get paint by dots started!
- Washable paint
- Paintbrushes
- Large white paper
- Markers to draw the outline and mark the dots
Remember, you don’t even need to make this ahead of time. Your preschooler can help get supplies and even set up the paint.
Paint by dots is a win!
When finished, check out:
