Clubhouse Paint, Decaf Please

Since deciding that we were going to introduce a new paint recipe to the Clubhouse Classroom every week, we have had fun with our minty "gum" painting (Epsom Salt Paint), and our "just add muscle" painting (Corn Syrup Paint). Today we introduced a scented paint into the classroom that all the kids recognize.

"THAT'S COFFEE!!" 

I would imagine that most Preschoolers are familiar with that smell after waking Mom up at 5:00am on Saturday, again. Or is that just my house?

Moving on...

All we needed was a few pouches of instant coffee, some cups of warm water, and paintbrushes to mix it all up. I chose flavored coffee, so that we could enjoy the different scents. No one in this classroom was going to enjoy the flavor, especially since I don't drink instant coffee.

I let the kids dump the pouches into the small jars of warm water and start mixing it all up.

Immediately we could smell Vanilla and Hazelnut coffee. I know I have said it before, but I will say it again, I absolutely love activities that engage multiple senses. Give the kids something that they can smell, and it is suddenly a much more engaging activity. 

I prefer the nicer smells, like the baby oil scented Cloud Dough in the sensory table, but the kids also learn from the stinky smells. Remember the "teeth" in Vinegar effect? 

Either way, today was a good smell day. 

Now, here's the part where I made magic.

When no one was looking I wrote the children's names on their white papers, in white crayon. As they were painting they started to see letters in their artwork. As we put the letters together, they realized they could see their names!!

"This is MAGIC!!!"

Don't you just love being able to make magic happen? 

This is the age you get to do that, over and over and over again.. enjoy it ;)

On all of the white pages at the table I had written the letters of their names. I also had familiar words, M O M, D A D, etc. The purpose was not only to have a page with their name on it, but to also cut letters out once the paintings were dry. Then we have letters to use to make words.

So they painted and painted and painted, and watched the letters appear. It was a great way to discuss the letters in their name, which letters come first, which are capital and lowercase, and what words they could make. They were having so much fun making letters appear they didn't realize they were learning letters at the same time. That is the best kind of learning isn't it?

Now it was time to take this coffee adventure outdoors. 

Hmmm, so what should we paint on with coffee? 

That was easy to answer...

First they colored the coffee filters with markers to make nice bright colors.

Once we had them all colored, 

it was time to add some coffee...

and more coffee.

Yes, they pretty much saturated them with coffee.

Good thing that's what coffee filters are for.

It was a bright Sunny day today, I knew they would dry up fast...

but it happened so fast that a light breeze carried the filters away.

Time for a little exercise as we ran and caught our flyaway art,

and moved it inside to finish drying with the rest.

(Bonus physical activity!!)

In no time at all we had letters to make names,

and new window hangings for the Clubhouse classroom.

Who knew decaf could go such a long way?

The Mommy in me has already hung the Coffee Art my Son made, right where I thought it would look perfect.

Next to the coffee mugs :)

Who says Preschoolers shouldn't have Coffee?

Ms. Liz