Do you love painting projects, but hate the mess?

Finally!

A way to keep arts and crafts in the classroom without the mess! Learn about the best way to paint with zero mess.

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I’m fortunate to have two sweet nephews in my life and from time to time they come to stay with me. Recently, they came to stay for several days and we were on the hunt for things to do inside as the weather wasn’t cooperating outside.

Father’s Day and the beginning of summer were just around the corner, so we decided to create a few gifts, invent our own waterpark, and try out my new set of neon Kwik Stix. (If you haven’t heard of these incredible tools, you can read my original review here.) 

First up was the Father’s Day Lapbook from my good friend, Adventures of a Schoolmarm. My nephew, “A,” is a first grader so I knew this was a bit beyond his ability to complete independently. However, I fell in love when I first saw this resource and decided we had to at least give it a try. 

If I say so myself, I think he did extremely well! I worked with him to organize his thoughts, spell a few words, and cut out the smaller pieces. But the lapbook was so engaging with the thoughtful prompts and multiple moving parts that he just couldn’t wait to see it finished. 

Next we worked on three “tie” cards for his grandpas. This was a much simpler project where he wrote a short note to each grandpa and designed a different tie for each.

The Kwik Stix were perfect for this project because he could bounce between the different colors without cleanup or mess. The Stix dry in less than 90 seconds, so he was able to create cross-hatch and striped patterns without mixing the colors or smearing. 

Our last project was a section of the Summer Reading, Writing, and Maker Kit that I created for my third graders. This portion contained five interconnected writing prompts around a student-created waterpark.

Again, I knew that this would be too difficult for A to complete on his own, so we attempted just two of the five activities and completed them together.

I recorded notes on the graphic organizers while he answered the prompts orally. He, of course, did all of the illustrations. The first were pencil drawings that he colored in with the Kwik Stix, but he enjoyed the Stix so much that he soon gave up the pencil.

(I just love kids’ artwork – don’t you?)

My second nephew is only nine months old, but I wanted him to have a gift to give his dad too. So I created this printable mini-book with spaces for handprints. I've posted a copy of the resource in The Treasury if you'd like to have it!

I have to say that of all the projects I’ve completed with Kwik Stix, this might have been the best. Whenever I’ve made hand or footprint art in the past, especially with very young children, it was always a huge mess. Oftentimes the child would have paint all over himself faster than I could wipe his hand.

But not so with Kwik Stix. I simply chose a color, “painted” his palm with it, pressed it to the page, and wiped it off with a damp cloth.

So incredibly easy!

My friends at The Pencil Grip Inc. (who are the makers of Kwik Stix) have once again generously offered to send a set of the new Neon Kwik Stix to one of my readers. The giveaway is open to US residents only, begins today, and ends on Tuesday, July 5th. A winner will be selected an notified on Wednesday, July 6th. 

(GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

But, wait! There’s more! They’re also offering a special 15% discount to all of you as well. Simply visit their store, place a few sets in your cart, and enter the code, “YOUWIN15” at checkout. 

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