A few years ago when my daughter was 18 months old and starting to draw everywhere, I decided to give her a wall to color on. I went to Home Depot, picked up a can of chalkboard paint for only $9 and turned my hallway into Audrey’s future masterpiece. I taped off one long chalkboard on one side and three smaller rectangles on the other. It has been my best idea yet! She has walls that she can color on, preventing her from sneaking off behind my back and turning my other walls into her own pieces of art. Over the last few years we have worked on learning colors, shapes, and letters; she even wrote her name for the first time on it. We play matching games, I write little notes on it, and enjoy decorating it for parties and on holidays.
That project only took half a can of paint so the wheels started turning for other projects I could do. Last year for Audrey’s third birthday she wanted a flower party. For the favors, I bought mini clay pots for each kid, painted them with chalkboard paint and wrote their name on it. Then we planted a sunflower seed in each one a few weeks prior to party time so they could sprout.
So I still had paint left…
Audrey just finished her first year of pre-school and I wanted to do something special for her teachers as a thank you for all they have done for her. I had a bunch of pots on my side yard (yeah for free!!) so I painted one for each teacher. Then I had her write each teachers name on the pot, and plant a flower that she chose for each of them inside. I then wrote “Thanks for helping me grow” on the other side. Too cute!
I also made my nephew his own little gardening kit. I painted two more pots (again yeah for free!), got some vegetable seed packets and bought a little gardening bag with trowels and such. Every year, he can plant seeds in each pot and write on the side what’s growing inside.
And since the paint was out we painted a couple more pots for a Father’s Day gift. She wrote “I Love You” on one and “Daddy” on the other. Now my hubbie can have a plant and her artwork in his office.
All those projects from one can of chalkboard paint. And there’s still a quarter of a can left. Hmmm….
Today’s post is brought to us by Megan. She lives in Northern California with her husband and their two little ones; Audrey and Owen. Up until a year ago, she was a pre-school teacher and has a degree in Early Childhood Education. Now a (lucky) full-time mom, she enjoys spending her days teaching the kids through play, cooking, yoga and creating. In her very spare time she is an artist and has her own line of little girls skirts.
www.inbetweendreams.etsy.com or In Between Dreams on facebook
6 COMMENTS
Jess
14 years agoLove this idea! So creative.
Ellie
14 years agoI have really wanted to try this stuff. Maybe in my daughter’s bedroom, better get the dustless chalk!!
chrissy robinson
14 years agoI love this idea. Especially painting a whole wall and use it as a learning tool as well as a creative outlet!
Hannah
14 years agoNeat idea. I never thought of painting things like that with chalkboard paint. I’ll have to try it sometime.
Anastasia Borisyuk
14 years agoWhy haven’t I thought of that?! My 28 month old would LOVE to draw on the walls. We are finally making her a room of her own now and I just might put some chalkpaint squares in there. Thanks for the idea!
claudia
14 years agoI think I may need to get some today!