More painting for them and less mess for you!

"I'm an artist, right Kate?" Says the 3-year-old proudly while admiring her painting. She gave her work of art a very fitting name, Fall.

She asked me to draw the outline of the tree trunk to start. Then, she did the rest! I love how she filled in the entire piece of paper with paint.

Sometimes, the thought of your child painting in the house can seem overwhelming. Do we have the time? Do I want to deal with the clean-up?

To keep things tidy, I highly recommend getting some plastic trays to use for crafts (I picked this one up at IKEA but you can find them at your local craft store).

Use the same tray every single time you do a craftivity and teach your child that art supplies stay on the tray. If you consistently stick to this tip, there will come a time when you won't have to remind your little one to use a tray. They will take it upon themselves to fetch one when they are feeling crafty.

It makes clean-up easy and contains the mess. Reuse an egg carton as a paint tray and paint on a cut out section of a paper bag. This teaches your child how to reuse your household waste and it makes for a sturdy place to hold paint.

Allowing your child to explore their creativity through paint will be rewarding for both you and your little one. And with tips like these, clean-up's a breeze!

Happy Fall!