After moving the couch, laying down a drop cloth, having the children change into paint clothes and pouring a little paint into an ice cube tray we would start our painting.
For birthdays we would write: MEGAN IS FOUR and then the children would paint a design around the words. Since it can take a lot of brain power to write backwards, I would write the message on a white piece of paper and hold it up to the light to get the right directions to follow.
When friends were coming for a visit we would write: WELCOME JONES and again paint something colorful around the letters.
For holidays I would draw the outline of a picture and let the children fill it in. Other times we would add words such as: HE IS RISEN!
The neighbors would often comment how they enjoyed our designs and looked forward to seeing what we would come up with next.
Tempera paint does at times get a little dry and can crack, but it definitely washes off easily. Now days there are paints and markers made specifically for drawing on windows.
We have also used dry erase markers to write notes on mirrors. A friend writes verses on her refrigerator and on a white plate she has sitting on her counter in a plate stand. This friend also used our paint the window idea to write Happy Birthday towards the inside on their slider near the kitchen.
So go ahead, get messy, and bless all that go by!