I am trying to keep my kids busy this summer while also living on a budget. I don't know about where you live, but here there are a few places that you can take kids to paint pottery. However, they all tend to be kind of expensive....especially when we are talking about going with 3 kids in tow. This summer I thought that we would do things a little differently. I bought 3 pots at Walmart for a couple of dollars each. I already had a stash of acrylic paint and brushes. I set the kids up on the kitchen table after covering it with half of a vinyl tablecloth. (I stock up on these any time they are on clearance or sale and I cut them in 1/2, making them last even further.)
After thinking of the design that they wanted to paint, and choosing their colors they want to paint with...I set them free with their own imaginations. 
It was so fun to see what they each came up with and just listen to their conversation as they painted. It was a perfect afternoon. It was also funny to see how different, yet alike, each of their pots were.
In order to check another thing off of our Summer Bucket List, the kids got to go and pick out their own plant to put into their pots. It was supposed to be a fruit or vegetable...but, we were a little too late in the season. We did get some strawberries to try....but the kids each picked out a flower to plant. This made for another inexpensive activity that they loved.
