Ironically, I could write a novel based on this one sentence. Especially when it comes to kids and parenting. “Keep it simple.” is the single greatest advice that we all ignore. But I’m here to (quickly!) remind you that keeping it simple is your key to happiness when it comes to kids…you don’t need fancy or expensive toys or an elaborately planned activity. Often, those things only result in stress and mess and disappointment. Think simple….

Water colors. Yep, a couple bucks for the old-school crayola watercolors, get some plain paper, throw some water in a cup, and have a few paper towels standing by…and you have cheap, SIMPLE fun for at least 30 minutes. Plus, you get great art to hang up after you’re done!

I just let my toddler do his thing, but you can add in some questions and prompts to get them thinking about colors, tints, shades, mixing, primary and secondary, etc. You can paint a picture together, each taking a turn. You can “teach” how to paint a specific thing by doing it on your paper and having your child then “copy” onto theirs (much like those paint studios do for the group canvas painting). The options are endless, but overall, it’s a fun, cheap, and simple activity that you may have forgotten about…enjoy!