Pine Cone Painting

from 24 months · 20-30 min · Sensory

What you need

Put the cones, paint and paper on the tray and feel the bumpy, scaly cones together first.
Let your toddler dab white paint on the tips with the brush, like snow on the branches.
Dip a cone in coloured paint and roll it across the paper to see the pattern it makes.
Stand the painted cones on the tray by the window to dry, then line them up and look.

A bumpy cone is a tricky shape to paint, so they slow down and use the brush with care, and rolling it makes a pattern they did not expect.

Using a brush: Dabbing paint onto small tips takes a steady hand and a careful grip.
Colours: Choosing and naming each colour as it goes on links words to what they see.
Patterns: Rolling a cone leaves a pattern, and they get curious about what a different cone will make.

Watch for them turning the cone in one hand to reach a new side with the brush. Stay close, nothing in mouths.

Use washable paint, check the cones for loose bits first, and cover the table before you start.

Easier: skip the brush and roll the cones through paint on the plate

Harder: collect the cones together on a walk first, then paint the next day