Kids want to paint, and you may have never heard of tempera.
I hear you. Paint can be scary, and confusing.
Do you envision crimson stains on the carpet, and violet handprints climbing the wall? You’re not alone. It’s enough to make any parent want to keep paint out of the house.
But paint is a rich multi-sensory experience for a child that should not be missed.
But what do you get? The craft stores and amazon are so full of options, it makes my head spin in rainbows.
What is Tempera Paint?
Tempera paint is the opaque paint you usually see in the big plastic bottles at craft stores. Squeeze some out and kids can quickly grab a brush and start slapping the paint on the paper.
I originally bought the craft store brand containers of tempera, only to be disappointed. The brushes were goopy, and the paint went on the paper in clumps. This paint may be super cheap, but it’s cheap for a reason. It doesn’t work well.
With limited space, limited funds, and so many options, so what’s a parent to do?
Crayola to the Rescue
Enter good ol’ trusted Crayola. Their Artista II brand is not only washable, but the colors are vibrant, and go on smoothly.
You also don’t have to use these straight out of the bottle. I encourage you to mix the colors to get the most beautiful pastels, and colors that pop off the page.
Crayola’s washable tempera paint come in squeeze bottles. You can squeeze out only what your kids will need, so no pouring from gigantic drippy containers.
When you run out of blue for the sixth time, you can buy the blue separately – a huge plus.
Crayola Washable Tempera Artista II comes in a slew of colors. To save money, you can buy the primary colors. If you do, order some white and black in order to have the basics and mix your own.
When you give this paint to kids, don’t forget to add a little bit of water. It makes the paint last longer, and it makes it go on smoother.
Don’t forget that a little of this paint goes a long way.
Other Tempera Options
If you want a slight upgrade, Faber-Castell Tempera Paint also comes highly recommended. The truth is, we are enjoying our Artista II paint so much lately that I haven’t tried the paint myself. However, every art teacher seems to love it, so I’m confident recommending it to others.
Another fun option for those who want less mess is cake tempera.
These paints come in a pan style, like those little, cheap sets of watercolors you can buy.
It works the same way – add a little bit of water, apply to the paper. What you will notice is that the consistency is a little bit different. But it’s a super easy option for kids.
Faber-Castell’s connector paints are a super fun way to get started. They are technically watercolor paints, but they are opaque. That means they go on a lot thicker like your liquid tempera.
The cons of cake tempera?
- Kids like to dig the paint out of those little wells.
- The colors aren’t as vibrant.
- You probably need a set for each kid. Two kids trying to use the same little circle of green paint is going to cause a paintbrush fight.
Are you ready to get painting? I know I am. This week, we are going to cover a fun painting activity that looks so simple, but is oodles of fun for kids, and yes, for you too.
Prepare to get messy!
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Ready to explore your new tempera paint?
Try this project inspired by Matisse. Make painted paper and try out collage!
