Over-thinking Creativity

Sebastian's day care classroom has sensory activities each day so he got to experience finger painting for the first time at school instead of at home.  Initially I was kinda disappointed I didn't get to experience that with him.  Then, when we finally bought finger paint and a pad of paper, and I began to think about the logistics of finger paints; I was worried about painting at home.  

Where should we paint?

Would he eat it?

He doesn't have a smock.  I don't have a smock, do I need one?

Will he try to fling the paint?  Do I need goggles and a shower cap for protection?

How do I clean him up if it gets all over?  Can I hose him off in the backyard?  In November?

I was on the verge of running to Lowes to buy a huge painters tarp and cutting down some old t-shirts to make painting smocks.  In the end, I opted to strip his clothes off and put him in his high chair so he would at lest be contained.

He didn't understand the concept of putting it on the paper.  He really just wanted to coat his hands in paint and hear it squish between his fingers as he made a fist.  In the end, I think more paint ended up on the high chair tray instead of the paper.

Finger paint on paper

Crayons aren't as scary, but the very first time I gave them to him, he was too young.  Only recently have crayons started to make more sense.  Right now Sebastian's big on making lots and lots of dots on his paper.    And of course, he tries to eat the crayons at some point during the coloring process.  No crayons up the nose.  Yet.  At 15 months his attention span for coloring is about 2 minutes.

Crayon on paper

I'm still not sure the best way to have art time at home.  Maybe while sitting on the kitchen floor?  But then I'm in trouble if he crawls away with finger paint all over his hands.  While sitting in the empty bath tub?  I'm sure I'll eventually figure something out.  Until then, I'm already wondering if Sebastian and I should give watercolors a try.  Maybe Santa needs to get him a smock for Christmas too.  :)