Snow Painting for Kids

Here's a great artistic activity for kids when we get the next snow. Snow painting is very easy and requires very little preparation. If it's warm enough, you can keep the kids outside in the fresh air for a little while or it's an activity that the whole family can do together! Don't buy a snow painting kit- this do-it-yourself version is much better.

Find some old spray or squirt bottles and fill them with cold water. Hot or even warm water will melt the snow too much. Now add food coloring to each bottle. For bold colors, you will need about 10 drops of food coloring for every 2 cups of water. Mix the colors if you desire (e.g. for orange, use 4 drops of red and 6 drops of yellow). Now screw the tops on the bottles and shake them up! As a variation, if you have some Kool-Aid, add one packet per bottle. This makes scented, vibrant colored water and the kids can drink it too!

Now send the kids outside to paint in the snow. A snow-covered backyard makes a wonderful blank canvas to promote some special artistic creativity! Show the kids how the spray bottles work and how to adjust them. Use the "squirt" or "stream" setting for fine detail and the "mist" settings for larger areas. Older children may find that they will get nicer results and the best detail if they pack and smooth down an area of snow about four feet square first. This makes a more solid "canvas" to "paint" on.

Snow painting is a unique way to nurture your children's artistic talent or simply introduce them to the joy of artistic creation. If your kids have exceptional artistic talent, they will love the chance to explore a new medium to create their own artwork. Regardless, even if your children aren't particularly artistic, they will still have allot of fun with this simple and colorful art project!

For more information about our exhibitions, class schedules, events or volunteer opportunities, please visit us at www.AnkenyArtCenter.com, stop by and visit our gallery at 1520 SW Ordnance Road, Ankeny. Our gallery hours are: Tu-Fr: 9a-1p, Th: 4p-7p, Sa: 9a-noon and you can reach us by phone at 515-965-0940 or email at: ankenyarts@ankenyartcenter.com. Like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AnkenyArtCenter