The process of mixing colors fosters early science skills of exploring and experimenting. Introduce the Snow and Rainbow game by explaining to children that "Snow" became tired of falling and making snowflakes and "Rainbows" was tired of making rainbows. Snow and Rainbow wondered if there were any children who could make snow and rainbows until they were ready to go back to work. Ask for volunteers. Help children spoon non-scented shaving cream in a large, plastic bag for snowflake-making. Put in only enough to manipulate as too much will not allow children to see their fingerprints. Allow the children to drop two or three colors for the "rainbows" in the bag and seal the bag closed. Children can use their fingers to rummage through the bag and mix "rainbows" through the "snow."
Brush substitutes allow children to see different patterning with paint. Using a variety of substitutes for paint brushes also exercises different small motor skills. Use recycled roll-on deodorant for the children to use as a painting implement. Set out three square aluminum pans with a thin coat of liquid tempera inside. Dip the roll-ons into the shallow pans of paint. The children roll paint onto the paper. Separate the roll-ons so that there are two or three roll-ons in each color. Tell the children they are steamroller cars making tracks for other steamroller cars to play follow the leader. Alternatively, cut soft square sponges into shapes of triangles, circles and squares. Using shallow pans of tempera paint, the children lightly tap the sponge onto the paint and then tap the paint soaked sponge onto their paper. Show the children how applying little or a lot of pressure on the sponge can affect the density of the paint print.
Place a square of white paper to fit neatly inside a clean, aluminum pan. Soak golf balls in different cups of paint. Drop the golf ball into the square pan and move the golf balls around to make patterns on the paper. For a variation, use the minute bouncing balls used to play jacks. Use this activity as a Name Game. For each letter of the child's name, the child says each letter aloud, which is the cue to roll or tilt ball on the paper, until each the name is finished.
The golf ball or jacks ball is substitution for the popular marbles painting activity. Very young children should not use the marbles because they can put the marbles in their mouths. For older small children, create a game using chocolate pudding as paint in tandem with an edible story, such as "Hansel and Gretel." Some children may prefer non-narrative play with paint, choosing only to explore for the sake of enjoying the process.