This idea can easily be changed to a Halloween Picture using white and orange crayons and black paint! A new post will be up Monday, have a safe and happy weekend!
Magic Space Paintings

Even when you paint over your drawings magically they appear!
- Gather your materials. You will need some white paper ( cardstock or construction paper works best ) , some bright colored crayons, a paint brush and black paint. If you don’t have black paint use the darkest blue or mix your own.
- Mix up some dark paint-
I just mixed all my darkest ones and got pretty close to black. My son loved this part, older kids can make predictions about what will happen to the paint as you mix it.
- Draw a space or night scene with crayons. Toddlers and young preschoolers will need help but will still enjoy coloring too. Press Hard, you want lots of wax on the paper.
- Paint over the drawing.
- Marvel at the masterpiece!
” Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown is a classic for a reason. My son has loved it since day one and it really does a great job of calming before bed, like all great bedtime stories should. As a teacher I hated this book probably because it’s not a great book for groups I admit I was wrong, this is a gem !
” Good Night Mr. Night” by Dan Yaccarino This is another wonderful and calming bedtime book, Mr. Night quiets the animals , closes the flowers and gets the world ready to go night night! I love this book- I keep meaning to pick up the board book version! Like ” Goodnight Moon” there aren’t too many words, but the illustrations are perfect!
melanie says
Is that just regular old tempra paint?
I posted a project we did that I found on your blog… it’s here if you’re interested:
http://ourcraftsnthings.com/2008/07/duck-stamping/
Allison says
It;s crayola kids washable paint, but I have done it with black tempra and it works perfectly!
off to see the project you posted 🙂
Sarah Mae says
Could you give me some advice for ways to set up a play room I am making for my three and one year old? I am not gifted in this area! What all should I include? Any suggestions would be super helpful! 🙂 Oh, the space is pretty small, about 200 sq. ft. (I think)
Victoria says
Love your ideas and plan to link to you next week from my blog, if that is ok.
We’re having a giveaway that ends at 7pm tonight if you want to swing by.
Allie says
Sarah Mae-
As far as a playroom goes let me first say I am so jealous, I wish I had fewer house guests and the guest room could be converted! I have a dream that one day my feet will not come in contact with hot wheels late at night.
So yes – I think the main thing would be to have the ability to put toys away, and bring them back out. I find my son and children I have taught play better with fewer options, and the power of novelty is amazing. So when something is “special”they end up using it more , then if they were given totaly free access.
Here are my personal must haves, and this is largely just opinion.
1. Building blocks of some sort. So Duplo, Little People builder sets, classic wooden blocks etc..
2. Dress up / Imaginative play so a kitchen or a tool bench etc… and a box of dress up clothes, shoes , hats… whatever your child likes to use to pretend.
3. Book/ Quiet corner or even a basket – again I would switch books out to keep your children’s interest.
4. Art area – in my dream playroom this would be in a corner where one wall was painted with chalk board paint and the other with magnetized paint , so your child can draw with chalk on one wall and use magnets on the other/ display art work.
An art are can be as simple as a little table with magna doodles, and crayons. Just an are to create!
That’s what I would do in a dream playroom!
Hope that helps !
Ruthie says
I just tried this project – I used regular crayons and regular paint and it is awesome! I will be using it tomorrow for my speech therapy/occupational therapy group as we learn about the solar system!