In which we go odiferously Zen

It's a truism (and also true) that toddlers are more concerned with the process of creating than any product that might result. Somewhere around the 3.5-year mark, they'll start to make drawings of actual things, often people: large circles with a crude face and stick limbs. No body to be seen. Just a head with arms and legs. Pretty standard!

Oops. That's all a tangent.

Last week we made valentine cards, as you know. I filled a cookie sheet with shaving foam, drizzled on some paint, marbled it a wee bit with the end of a spoon. They we layed the paper on the foam, tapped it gently all over, and peeled it off, then let it sit on a counter long enough for the colour to permeate the paper. With a piece of light cardboard, scrape the foam off, let it dry, and ta-dah! Paper from which I could cut hearts to be mounted on dollar-store paper doilies.

Fun. At no point did they have to be too interested in what they were making. The whole process was fun. (Stinky, mind you. Phew! Who needs that much scent in their shaving foam? Of course, who in their right mind uses a gallon of shaving foam at one go?)

After the prints were made, we had a whole entire sheet of paint-drizzled shaving foam. Whee! I would have to have a teeny Grinch-sized heart to take it away and just wash it all down the drain. So we rolled up our sleeves and got right into it. "We" being the four older ones. Ada is still too likely to taste and rub it into her eyes. She and I just watched the others.

I love this one. Foam as meditation.

In fact, they were quite quiet and, yes, even meditative, as they swooshed and swirled in the foam. I think they found the texture soothing.

It was a lovely, quiet, stinky activity. I had a headache at the end (strong scents do that to me), but we'll do it again -- outside, in the summer, probably in the wading pool...