This was so much fun! We did it outside, but you could do it inside if you laid down a plastic tablecloth beneath a doorway swing. I’d also suggest if you do it inside, you have a large basin or tub of water and towels for washing/drying little feet before they can run through your house!

Each kiddo got their own large sheet of brown paper (I reused packing paper that came in the mail - free AND earth-friendly!) and they got to spoon some finger paint onto their paper. There was some good fine motor wrist-rotation action involved there, which is a skill we take for granted…but it challenged the toddlers! After they had spooned some paint onto their paper, I let them “belly swing” and paint with their hands and feet. The one thing I’d do differently next time is lower the swing for my littlest painters - as you can see, this poor tiny guy couldn’t really get his hands down there.

Overall, a very popular activity. Another benefit is that it is one-on-one (unless you choose to do two swings at once), which made for some excellent conversational opportunities about how the paint felt and looked, etc. (Bonus - this is obviously a great sensory activity, not just art!)