As children learn to use a paintbrush in different ways, their fine motor skills increase. In this activity, I wanted to challenge them to use the brushes with a different part of their body. I wanted them to see the amount of control they had when asked to hold a brush with their toes. Would they still aim to create the picture they would have made with the brushes in their hand, or would they abandon their ideas and simply explore this new sensation?
The activity challenged them to critically think about different ways to approach the project if the task of holding the brush proved too difficult. Would they need a difffernt sized brush, or was the problem in the way they held the brush? Working together on the floor allowed them to have fun with their friends, see the way others were experimenting, and try the same methods they observed, if their own attempts failed.
As people, we become accustomed to routine and doing things a particular way. I wanted to challenge them to try creating in a new way than they regularly do. The only rule in this activity was that no hands were to touch the paint brushes once the paint was on.