We all prefer to do things when its our idea, and not someone else telling us what to do.
An art invitation is just that, an invitation to create, left to be discovered and enjoyed whenever the recipient of the invitation deems it fit to do so!
For this particular invitation, I taped 4 x 6" index cards to a table using removable washi tape and paper letter stencils. I placed one paint stick by each letter. I gave no verbal instruction, I simply waited for my daughter to discover the invitation. Later that day, she accepted the invitation and colored each one with the coordinating paint stick. When the paint dried, we removed the washi tape and stencil together, to reveal her masterpiece that she proudly created "all by herself"!
A quick side note, if you have little ones, and you haven't yet used paint sticks, you need to put them in your Amazon cart right now! These solid tempera paint sticks are easy for little hands to grasp, they are about the size and structure of a glue stick. They are completely washable and they dry SUPER fast, within a minute or two.
Personally, I love that my kids can "paint" with these, without the mess that comes with actual liquid paint and brushes. Don't get me wrong, we use real paint often, but sometimes for a quick or independent project, you need something you can set out without any prep and clean up quickly, and paint sticks will do just that!
I had honestly never heard of solid tempera paint sticks when my oldest was itty bitty. It wasn't until kid #2 broke her leg and a family member sent these to us in a care package. In the past few years, we have gone through several sets, we use them ALL THE TIME!
This quick and easy example shown below is just one of many possible projects! Whether its straightforward and defined, or wildly open ended, allow your young artist to create something unexpected when they find your art invitation!