I was given about 20 mats of every imaginable size, shape and color. These normally frame pictures under glass, but I plan to have a Neighborhood Art contest. I'm soliciting help from a few folks, donating a big plastic box of unused jars of multiple colors of tempura paints for them to use in the project, once I get a little money to purchase a few packages of inexpensive tempura paint art brushes and some hot chocolate.
I plan to make and send out invitations, or place announcement signs, which invite the first 20 children to participate in "The Washable Art Contest" on the driveway or at the park at the end of the street, between the hours of noon and three p.m., in case it's cooler. This will give overworked homebound moms around this 600 home area suburb a chance to catch up on early holiday shopping, and making best use of the mats. This project has the "hidden agenda" of making special art pictures with "matching mats" for their parents' holiday gift to frame in whatever store-bought frame they buy/put it in at their leisure, complete with tempura greeting/ hand/fingerprints and date on back of each piece of butcher paper "masterpiece" of their choice.
It will help to raise the self-esteem and "needs to please" among the children of all ages, ranks, and family stresses, as well as safe, wholesome, friendly competition during their holiday vacation.
They will all become "winners" when they realize their parents are grateful to have a couple of hours to shop, and when the parents realize the "contest" was not only truly washable, but with "prizes that last a lifetime" as a surprise gift from their child, and it will free up a big shelf in one of my closets! lol
By Lynda from TX
