wooden rainbows

I'm so glad you enjoyed the rainbow pictures earlier this week. Who doesn't stop in their tracks at the glimpse of nature's masterpiece? We're lucky to live in a valley that's blessed with lots of rainbows, and my children know the exact weather conditions, and kind of light that shouts "rainbow alert". During our hunts for those arcs of color, we've inevitably talked about the spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (Roy G. Biv).

This has led to creating our own with crayons, markers, paint... etc. One of the simplest and most satisfying art projects we've done recently was stumbled upon by chance: painting watercolor rainbows onto wooden craft sticks. The water colors bleed into one another creating a seamless spectrum. Our countless rainbow sticks have been used for book marks, magic wands, and building materials for fairy houses. They're also considered "lucky sticks", good for tucking in pockets when going on adventures.

Such success with simple materials led us to paint watercolors on any scrap wood we could find:  the gorgeous outcome was so enticing. At the peak of this wooden passion, we rediscovered the the "Curiosity Bags" sold at our favorite local shop: Mama Goose.  Curiosity Bags are a wooden treasure trove of odds and ends, seconds, and leftovers put together by my artisan neighbor, Wild Apple.

I've shared my love for Wild Apple toymaker, Gunther Kiel, before here and here. If you live anywhere near Mama Goose, don't pass by these humble looking bags. They are not sold as toys because they might need to be sanded or could be missing a part, but we found many pieces that were gorgeous... and for water coloring:  they're pure bliss. Parent supervision is necessary for young children because some of those bunnies and sheep are so tiny (and cute).

My daughter created this play set (I love that pink goose):

So grab your watercolors and craft sticks, maybe peek into your garage for any scraps you have lying around, and count on hours of fun. You can also find inexpensive wooden shapes, animals and letters at all craft supply stores. But if you happen to be local,  run down to Mama Goose!