I know the colors of the trades: FINGER COLORS, WHAT A PASSION!

the bakers are white, they get
up before the birds
and they have flour in their hair;
the chimney sweeps are black,
the painters of seven colors;
the workshop workers
have a nice blue overalls,
their hands are dirty with grease:
the slackers go for a walk,
they don’t even get a finger dirty,
but their job is not clean.
Gianni Rodari

In an old post last year we talked about the importance of drawing for the emotional development of children and the task of parents to support them in this activity without hindering their creativity with judgments and limitations.

Today we want to recommend a painting technique to experiment at home with the little ones, who will have a lot of fun. A technique that is not really an artistic technique, but a way of expressing oneself and communicating emotions by creating with color. Like a game without rules, where you can’t go wrong and where the important thing is not the result, but to feel good and have fun.

First of all, painting with finger colors does not mean using only the fingertips, but the whole hand. Indeed, this activity allows you to become aware of every detail: the fingertips, the open palm, the closed fist, the knuckles, the nails, the flat position and the cutting position. Children can experience that each type of touch corresponds to a different trace on the sheet.

Direct contact with gouache may be a problem for some children, but this exercise can train them to gradually overcome some emotional obstacles, such as fear of getting dirty. Letting go in a protected environment, facing the first perceptions of discomfort by noting the absence of dangers and unpleasant consequences, helps to strengthen self-confidence and the ability to self-control.

Other children, on the other hand, will love to dive into color, and may want to paint with their whole body… better then take some initial precautions! Get them to wear house clothes, or disposable aprons to protect their clothes, and let them have fun barefoot. The ideal would be to spread the sheets of paper (the heavy one that does not curl when dry) directly on the floor, after having covered it with newspapers.

Fear not! There are finger colors on the market designed specifically for children, therefore water-based products, completely non-toxic and washable, some even gluten-free.

When everything is ready to begin, make the colors available to the children and let them choose them freely. Especially with younger children, it is not important to work on figurative representation, that is, on imitating or drawing “something objectively recognizable concrete”. What you have to do – simply – is to allow them to express themselves by coming into contact with colors and discovering their consistency. With older children, however, it is possible to propose more structured activities (which we will come back to in a few posts!).

Hands are the first cognitive tool, the most direct and instinctive; through them, with touch, the child relates to the world and builds his identity. Each color will represent a mood, as well as the gesture used. Serenity blue, determination yellow, imaginative purple, vivacity red, anxiety and fear black, defense gray … By supervising the activity, in addition to sharing a precious moment with your children, you will also have a privileged access key to the way they filter and live reality.

The “spots of color” left as traces on the sheet remain as works of art. Once dried they can be used as wrapping paper for grandparents and relatives who will be happy to receive a “special” gift.

“Special” because the child will have deposited so much of himself on that card.