Glowing Pumpkin Drawing

This Halloween activity will teach your preschooler about physical properties -- he'll see wax crayon repel water-based tempera paint.
by: Trish Kuffner, author of The Preschooler's Busy Book

Glowing Pumpkin Drawing


This Halloween activity will teach your preschooler about physical properties, as he watches wax crayon repel water-based tempera paint.

Materials
  • Construction paper
  • Orange and black crayons
  • Black (or other contrasting color) tempera paint and brush
  • Varnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Using crayons, help your child draw an outline of a pumpkin on a piece of construction or other paper.
  2. He should press hard, and fill in the outline with plenty of thick coloring.
  3. Then have him paint the picture with black (or other contrasting color) tempera paint. Since wax repels water, the colored areas will resist the paint and the painting will "glow."
  4. For a really dramatic effect, use fluorescent crayons, and finish with a coat of varnish.