Veronika has made tape resist art before, but with this clever idea from Hands on As We Grow, she now had a chance to combine that art method with two others! I loved the mix of tools that went into this craft, making it a great way to hone a toddler’s fine motor skills.

To start, I used painter’s tape to create a heart shape on a piece of sturdy white paper. Smaller pieces of tape work best for the curvy parts of the heart.

Time for the second method: a rolling pin! I placed the paper in a tray and squirted on a few blobs of pink and peach-colored paint, then showed Veronika how to use a plastic rolling pin to smear the paint. At first she wanted to use the rolling pin more like a paintbrush, stabbing down at the blobs, but then realized she could copy my motion and roll. With a little mommy help, we smeared our paint toward the edges of the paper.

Now for the final method: a comb! I showed her how to drag a comb through the thick wet paint to make neat textured lines.

She loved observing the squiggles and lines that appeared.

I find that it’s best to remove the painter’s tape immediately, while the paint is still wet, and then set the project aside to dry at this point. Veronika loved spotting the heart she had made.

Finally, big brother Travis wrote in a Valentine’s message for their grandmother, making this their second sibling collaboration of the day!