Age range: 3-6

Theme Area: Painting Together

Related Episode: Staying Within the Lines

Subjects/Skills: Art; Sense of Self

Materials Needed:
Paint
Paper
Paintbrushes
Smocks
Newspaper

Directions:
Have a family painting party. Everyone will paint a picture of the same thing. When you're finished, you can compare paintings and talk about the differences and similarities.

First, choose something to paint. You might prefer something outside, like a tree or the sunset, or something inside the house. Put down newspaper in the painting area to guarantee an easy cleanup.

Give each family member a smock or an old shirt, a paintbrush, and a sheet of paper. Put paints in the middle, along with water and paper towels that can be used to clean the brushes. (You might want to use an old egg carton as a paint holder. Then you can just pour a small amount of each color in separate sections of the carton.)

When everyone has finished, let the paintings dry. Choose a spot in your home where you can hang all the paintings.

Talk about each person's painting. Point out the different colors that family members used, and how the paintings look similar, and different. Let your child know that all the artwork is beautiful, even though they all look different.