Paint a Summer Mural

What You Need:

• White bed sheet
• Markers
• Paint
• Large paintbrushes
• Painter's drop cloth
• Cups for the paint

What You Do:

1. Have your child choose a summer, outdoors theme for her mural. She can make a landscape of your backyard, a picture of a park, a beautiful sandy beach, or anything else she can think up! Brainstorm what will be included in the design.
2. Set up your work space by placing the drop cloth on the ground outside, then spread the bed sheet flat on top. This way you can have fun working outside without getting the canvas all dirty.
3. Before she draws on the bed sheet, it can be helpful for her to draw a rough draft on a piece of construction paper. This way, your child can plan what she wants to draw and where she wants to put different objects.
4. When she's done with her rough draft, help her outline the design on the sheet with markers. Discuss the different shapes she draws them such as circles, squares, and triangles. What object will each shape represent?
5. When she's done outlining, it's time to paint! Let her get creative and use whatever colors she chooses.
6. Set the mural aside to dry.

When it's dry, it's all ready to hang! Display your mural by taping it to the outside of your house, hanging it on a clothes line, or simply draping across a picnic table. Now anyone driving by your house can see your child's fabulous artwork!