Messy Art for Preschool - Toothbrush Painting

I'm not sure that I'm in majority, but I love love love messy art projects.  Yes, they are a pain to clean up, but they are such a fun experience for the children because they never get to do stuff like this at home, and it's always a new way to experience the materials that you're using.  As for the cleaning part, the children are usually just as excited to help me clean up as they are to actually do the activity.

Toothbrush painting can be done in a variety of ways - the most simple being to brush the bristles along the paper like you would with a traditional paintbrush.  But we're talking about messy art, and that just isn't messy enough.  Next time you paint, consider toothbrush splatter painting.  Show the children how to run their thumbs along the bristles in order to fling the paint.  This will create interesting splatter designs on the paper and give your students a really fun way to explore the way the paint feels on their fingers.