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Make · Wild and Tumble activity

Water painting

Paint the patio, watch it vanish. All you need is water and a brush.

  • 15 min total
  • Low mess
  • Ages 2–5*
  • Outdoors
  • Dry days
Let's do this

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 2 min to prepare · 12 min to explore · 1 min to tidy. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • A small bucket or cup of water
  • A paintbrush, an old sponge or a leafy twig

Let's begin

Four simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Dip the brush and paint on a wall, path, fence or tree.

  2. Try shapes, lines, wiggles or the first letter of their name.

  3. Together

    Watch together as the paint slowly disappears.

  4. Which spot dries fastest, sun or shade?

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

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