Messy Art Day

This was an awesome event and this post is long over dueECPC is a Co-Op in El Cerrito that some from friends of our attendOnce a year they host an event called Messy Art DayAnd the goal is to basically do all kinds of really fun messy things you might never be able to.It is quite the sensory experienceThe change between this year and last has been amazing.Holly wanted to try everything and there were only a few things she didn't "like"She got upset, but then quickly recovered and moved on and she wanted to try them.This was a really fun activity, we got to dip balls into paintThen they rolled down the slide making cool patterns of color on the paperShe liked getting her hands and the ball covered in paint and watching it go splat.I like the patterns it makes, I'm all for alternative art toolsHolly didn't like having to wait in line and she didn't like having her turn be overBut she managed and we had so many cool other things to try.This was one that she used colored water and sprayed the wallsThen she painted the walls with neat brushes like a broom or feather dusterI love this picture, it reminds me of a Magic Trick my dad did when I was a kidIt is like the Linking Rings with Hangers where they get tangled and linked together and then magically come apartThis was a really neat sand boxand even the mud was just fun to play with, raking it and getting your toes in it.This one I loved and was so excited Holly could manage it.Last year she so wanted to try and we waited in line for like 20 minutesThen when it was her turn she got scared. I knew she would like it and she didThe only problem was that it was hard for her to squeeze the paint out of the container and actually make neat spiralsI was really proud of her though for even getting up there and swinging on her bellyShe was into the mud puddles which was really surprisingThe kids all made this little river, digging which was neat, she wanted to help outAnother of Holly's favorite areas was this drumming wallShe liked to clang and bang as loud as she wanted to her hearts contentThis was another one of the fun painting stationsHolly dipped these sponges in blue paint than then put them in the sling shotShe was a little too little to pull and release with the right strength and timingBut she pulled it down, placed it and held the rope and we did it together.She even had fun playing in the soapy water cleaning the paint off her handsThere were fun bubble tables to play with, Daddy liked thatThere was shaving cream with paint, through out the day they changed the paint colorIt is a great sensory thing for your handsKids would pile it up like they were making a cake, others covered the hair and gave themselves beardsIt was enough for Holly to just get it all over her handsBut who knows what next year may hold.The entire event is volunteer run by parents from the co-op and staff.This year my friend was actually the mom who organized / managed the event. She did amazing.This is a confetti room, the kids got to sweep up the confetti and dump it into home made blowersAnother thing I learned from attending this event is I have some sensory issues of my own.While I theoretically think its wonderful for Holly to get all messy and dirty and muddyI myself am not really a fanI told Joel he will have to be in charge of the messy activities.She kept trying to give me hugs or have me pick her up when she was covered in paint and muckI did my best and got rather messy myself. It was funI could totally handel it, I just wasn't a super fan.I think its a control thing, I like contained chaos and mess, I think shaving cream is fun to play with, if it stays on the tray...This was another painting station, Holly was really just all about having that paint all over hands wherever we turned.Then of course she was ready to go do other stuff and touch me...So we cleaned off the paint in the "river"This was one of my favorite things, Holly's first science experiment.We mixed baking soda and vinegar (with food coloring in it)To make these awesome lava explosions. She wanted to do it over and over.She would pour and it would be a chemical reaction and she got so excited.I loved explaining it to her and she wanted to learn more. It was the end of the day and they were using up the supplySo they let us do it a lot. At first I was helping her and basically doing itI wanted to make sure she would get to see the reaction at least once, not have spills ect.But she is in her "Do It Myself" phase, and why not.She was really proud of herself.We had a wonderful time and I can't wait to see how things change next year.