This week I have a fun painting activity for you all to try at home. I would recommend trying this one outside or putting an old sheet down that you don’t need anymore to catch the excess paint. (It could get messy 😂)This painting activity is called pendulum painting and it explores gravity.
Use technology to research some facts about gravity – you could draw a picture, record you telling me some facts or ask an adult to write the facts you find out about gravity. Here is a video that tells us all about gravity:
Gravity | The Dr. Binocs Show | Learn Videos For Kids – YouTube
Gravity is the reason objects come back down when you throw them into the air or drop them from a height. Without gravity everything would float, like in space.
In this activity gravity is pulling the paint down to the ground which is shown when you watch the direction of the paint falling from the bottle/cup or running down the paper.
You will need: paint, paper/an old white sheet, a plastic bottle/cup, string, paint brush, scissors, sellotape, a branch on a tree or a washing rope outside.
Step 1: Pierce a few holes in the bottom of your plastic bottle or cup.
Step 2: Attach the string to the top of the bottle/cup (wrap the string around a few times then tie or sellotape it in place) to ensure the bottle/cup does not fall to the ground when you then attach the other end of the string to a branch or washing rope outside. You might need an adult to help you tie the string if sellotape is not strong enough.
If you are doing this activity inside, then you could use 2 chairs with a brush connecting them to allow a pendulum to be created or use anything that can create the effect of a swing – in the video they use 2 cereal boxes and a kitchen roll tube.
Pendulum Painting With Kids – Bing video
Step 3: Place your paper or whatever you choose to paint on under the bottle/cup (if outside you might need to put stones on the corners of the paper to hold it in place) and fill the bottle/cup with paint. You may need to add some water to your paint.
Step 4: Watch what happens to the paint, you can gently swing/push the bottle/cup to move the paint all over your paper to create a lovely piece of art.
You can also do this activity indoors using only paint, paint brush, water and paper.
Add some water to your paint to ensure it is runny. Hold your paper up so it is not lying flat on a surface. Dip your paint brush into the paint then tap your brush on the top of your paper and watch what happens to the paint. You could also try turning your paper in different directions while the paint runs down to see what happens.
While doing this activity in whatever way you choose, encourage your child to use their problem solving skills.
Why is the paint falling to the ground/running down the paper? Reinforce the word GRAVITY and the facts you have found out about gravity.
Ask them what they could tie the bottle/cup to? Talk about the height of the item you tie it to. Ask them, before you try it, what they think might happen if you tie it up higher or lower?
Talk about the different directions they can move the paint in and how they will move the paint in the direction they choose. Encourage words such as pull, push, up, down, forwards or backwards.
If you use more than one colour the paints might mix so encourage your child to try and predict what colour they might make when 2 colours mix together.
Curricular areas covered:
Science – exploring gravity, Technology – searching for facts about gravity and recording the facts they find. Engineering – by creating their pendulum, Maths – discussing height and direction of pendulum. Using problem solving skills and prediction skills when exploring colour mixing. Literacy – discussing ideas, introducing new words, mark making pictures of their facts.
I hope you have fun exploring this painting activity and remember to send in any photos/videos of your hard work. Enjoy!
sherrie.devlin@eastayrshire.org.uk
