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Black Block Paint....


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In Nursery we have either an adult focussed painting activity, OR we have painting available as basic provision. We have powder paints mixed for the children, and we have a seperate space for block paints.

 

Children enjoy painting, and often visit the area, but the only problem we have is that when the children are using the block paints, they-

Tend to get black on all the other colours

Dont change their water

Mix all the colours up, so the paper just ends up a grey mess.

 

 

I personally would like to take the black block paint away, so the children can use the other colours effectively, but I am aware that some children may want to use black, and we shouldnt be restriciting their colours.

 

 

Just wondered what all of you thought, and if you have any practices you would like to share with me please?

 

Thanks :D

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bit fiddly but you could try a two part container ( like the corner yoghurts but triangular shapes aren't the best!) put the block paint in one section and water in the other. One brush per container , after a few explanations it has been successful. :D

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When we have lots of littlies at the beginning of the year, we have pots with lids and a separate brush for each colour. We only have three or four colours on each day. By constantly saying keep the yellow brush in the yellow pot, etc. by the second term, we are able to offer a greater choice of colour in lidded pots, but also use ready mixed paint in eight hole palettes. I've never got on particularly well with water pots, so we sometimes have squares of kitchen roll on the table for the children to wipe their brush on before using another colour. This works pretty well.

Black is a perennial problem, and we limit its use by not putting it out very often :o We have low shelves for the children to access freely and if a child chose the black paint we would not discourage him/her.

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We don't often go to six colours at a time but do use four. Maybe I didnt explain it very well- each block paint has its own water supply and brush. We only have small groups painting at any one time and it's interesting to watch the negotiating skills when another child is using the colour they want.

 

Having said all that we don't use block paints that often!!

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We use powder paint but the staff hate mixing it. It either goes solid in the bottom of the pot or it is too runny - you are obviously going to say 'you have to get the mixture right' but we have been using the powder for ages and still can't get it right. We were given a large amount of powder paints for free so changed from ready mixed. I am seriously thinking of going back to ready mixed paints unless there is an answer to mixing the powder paints. Years and years ago I heard about something you could add to the pot when mixing it together - it was a powder paste I think - any ideas please?

 

Sue J

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Thanks for all your replies. Think I will take the black out for a bit and see what happens.

 

Dont really have a prob with powder paints, although I know what you mean about the mixing! We also recently aquired free poweder paints, so we are steadily working our way through that. It would be nice to move onto ready mixed paints, (which we do use every now and again), but the amounts of times our children access painting, I dont think it would last very long or be cost effective!

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We always add a good squirt of washing up liquid to the powder and water and this seems to help it blend when mixed with a plastic spoon. It also makes it easier to wash the paint pots after painting. Another colleague of mine always adds a spoonful of PVA glue to the powder paint to help blending, but haven't tried this. I find that some colours blend better than others. I always end up in such a mess when mixing the powder paints - I seem to get it everywhere!

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We do add paste to our powder paint to stop it from separating - we make a big pot of paste and mix with this rather than water.

Our children love to mix the powder paints themselves too - we put pots of powder on the table with teaspoons, wide based water pots with pippettes(very good for fine motor contol) and mixing pallettes for each pair - they make a right mess, but its amazing how soon they learn to add just the right amount of water/paint, and they can explore mixing colours too.

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In a standard size paint pot we mix

 

1st. 3 heaped tablespoons of powder paint

 

2nd. 1 heaped tablespoon of wallpaper paste ( scola cell non fungicide)

 

3rd. a squib / squirt of washing up liquid.

 

if you add more paste it makes the end mix a bit translucant xD

( not sure abouit spelling there)

 

 

Peggy

 

p.s. and yes I also have been giving lots of powder paint ( in tins) free, do these kind "sponsors" know something that we don't :o

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Our children queue up to help with mixing paints, We mix up paste and add to the paint a teaspoon in the bottom of the pots then add the powder then a small splash of water until the paint is mixed together then add more paint untill the thickness wanted has been obtained.

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Peggy, I was going in tomorrow with your 'recipe' for paint mixing - see if it works for me, but then I thought---do you use 1 tbs of wall paper paste that's already mixed or 1 tbsp of the paste powder? Perhaps I'll leave it 'til Monday.... Thanks

 

Sue J

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Sue.J,

The paste is already mixed ( therefore I don't use any water).

 

Mazlittle,

Our powder paint was bought in by a parent, mainly dark colours and definately harder to wash off :o (I think that's why he was so generous xD )

We mix most of them up with some white powder to make lots of pastels.

 

Peggy

 

p.s. On the subject of paint; over the last week we have been experimenting with WHITE balloons and paint. Monday I put a funnel in the balloon, the children poured in different colours of ready mixed paints, we squished the "flat" balloon, then carefully take out the funnel ( will splatter) and blow up the balloon and tie. THEY LOOK REALLY GREAT, a sort of marble effect inside as they are hung up by the window.

Today we painted the outside of the white balloons with snowmen features with black paint ( I mixed some PVA with the paint to help it adhere to the rubber.

 

Peggy

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Dear Peggy

Love the paint in balloon - I'll try that one Monday - have you every taken it a stage further and burst it over a LARGE piece of white paper - could be interesting and messy.

Nikki

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Thanks Nichola,

I'll try that Monday, My staff will love me :o:D

I actually now wear Black leather trousers to work, no not a fashion statement but ideal for wiping clean. xD

 

Peggy

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I threatened my children I would buy a pair of leather trousers if I got down to a size 14. They were horrified. Now I might just tell them I NEED them for work.

 

I've never thought of them as a practical item of workwear, but I'm sure you look very glamorous, Peggy!

 

The bursting balloon thing is great - especially outdoors!!

 

Maz

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