Natural paints – make these and talk about texture

What you need 

• Containers, pots, pans, and buckets.  
• Jugs or empty plastic bottles.  
• Water 
• Natural items, for example soil, petals or leaves 
• Things to mix with, for example, sticks, spoons or a whisk 
• A large sheet of paper or fabric 
• A big paintbrush 

What to try 

• Place the containers, jugs, water and other items where your child can reach them – choose somewhere that can get messy.  
• Give your child time to explore mixing the different things together.  
• Show them how to use the mixture to paint on your paper or sheet, using either a brush or their hands.  
• Comment on the texture of the ‘paint’ as they mix.