Paint Your Feelings
Here's What To Do
1
Ask your child what colors match different feelings; follow their lead even if their thoughts about colors and feelings are not conventional.
2
Encourage your child to close their eyes and notice how they're feeling right now.
3
Ask them to choose a paint color to match their feelings, and squeeze a small dot of that color paint onto a plate or tray.
4
Talk about how they might also make different lines or shapes that match their feelings.
Put PEER Into Action
P
Pause:
- Smile and say to your child, “let’s use paint to express how we feel.”
E
Engage:
- "How do you feel today? What color best matches this feeling”?
- "Can you make a feelings painting? You can make lines, shapes, or pictures that match your feelings too."
E
Encourage:
- Compliment your child for expressing themselves through art.
- Talk about what you notice in their art, like: "I see that you made a smiley face to match your happy feeling!"
R
Reflect:
- When your child has finished the painting, ask them to explain their ideas.
Not quite ready?
Talk about your own feelings and make a painting to represent them as your child watches.
Ready for more?
Ask your child to create a series of monochromatic paintings to represent different feelings.
As your child masters this skill...
They will learn that art can represent different feelings.