April 15 is Leonardo Da Vinci Day! Stars0 reviews (Do you like this day? Rate it!)

Leonardo Da Vinci Day Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452. He was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. Leonardo is famous for his paintings, such as the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. He is also known for designing many inventions that anticipated modern technology, such as the parachute, helicopter, and bicycle, but were rarely constructed in his lifetime.

Introduce your child to Leonardo da Vinci by watching the short video, and then showing them some of his famous paintings, such as the Mona Lisa. Give them some acrylic paints and let them explore their own painting styles!

Books & Videos | Painting With Children |

Books & Videos

  Leonardo da Vinci Day Leonardo da Vinci Day
Getting to Know Leonardo da Vinci

Painting With Children

Painting With Children
 
What You'll Need:
 
  • Paints (acrylic, watercolor, fingerpaints)
  • Paintbrushes
  • Paint smock and newspapers
  • A variety of applicators (sponges, rags, stamps, pinecones, etc.)

   
How To Make:
 

Babies (Ages 1-2)
Children as young as one can begin to paint. Place them in their high chair, and tape a piece of paper to a tray. You can use finger paints (or pudding if you think it will go to their mouth!). After this, you can give them a sponge or wide paint brush, and show them how to apply it to the paper. They will be thrilled by the marks they produce! For babies, starting with 1 color is plenty.

Young Children
Before starting, have all supplies ready. Go over a few ground rules - paint stays on the paper, no paint in the mouth, and rinse the brush in between colors. Children at this age will be able to change colors and attempt to paint recognizable images. Show them different brush strokes, and provide a variety of applicators to paint with (sponges, small pieces of rags, stamps, etc.). Keep comments non-critical and non-suggestive to let children develop their own styles.

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