A “Cool” Way to Paint!

Penguins Love Colors by Sarah Aspinall explores what happens when six little penguins, tired of living in a world of snowy white, take matters into their own hands and give their Mama a colorful surprise!  This book expands preschoolers’ color knowledge by tying each color to a different flower (which also happens to be the name of the penguin wearing the same color beret).  And what better activity to follow up this book than painting like a penguin, with icy paints!

Materials needed:

• ice cube tray
• popsicle/craft sticks
• liquid watercolor paint
• flour (optional, for opaque paint)
• Sturdy paper

Setup Tips:

1. Adding a little flour to the water before coloring it can make the paint more opaque.
2. Get the ice cubes out a few minutes before painting – it’s a great time to read or re-read the book!
3. Protect the work surface with either sheets of plastic or use individual trays for the students to collect drips and spills.
4. When the students are finished, any remaining “paintsicles” can be refrozen for later use!
5. Be sure to have lots of drying space available – the students will likely want to make more than one masterpiece.

Educational Benefits

• Using the craft stick requires lots of great use of fine motor skills
• Open-ended and high success rate
• Great for reluctant writers or children who struggle to try new things
• Hands on experience with color theory
• A great sensory experience

Ten days of Color themed lesson plans? Just click, print, and teach!