Things That You Can Paint With - Creative Discovery Toddler Style

 

Painting has been the Figlet's art activity of choice lately.
To keep things interesting, she has been testing out the
marks she can make with all kinds of things....
 

Feathers

 

Sponge, Onion Bag, Marbles & Beads

 

Fingers & Fake Flowers

 

Spool, TP Tube, Brushes

 

Foam Sticker Stamps

 



Brushes & Burlap

 

There is such joy in discovery!

 

"When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college - that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?" Howard Ikemoto

 

 

Decorating Gift Bags with DIY Foam Stamps

 

 

Decorating Gift Bags with DIY Foam Stamps

 

I love this project because it is great for a wide range of ages. The samples shown were done by the elementary school kids I work with.

 

We used:

Paper bags (mine had handles but not required)

Foam sheets (any color - scraps are fine)

Chipboard (aka cereal box cardboard)

Paint

Paintbrushes

Glue sticks

Scissors

 

How we made the stamps:

Cut out foam shapes

Most everyone used a lot of little pieces to make their image

Glued them to the chipboard to make a design

Some kids tried to make words. This is harder than it looks because the words and the letters have to be backwards!

 

How we printed the bags:

We used paint brushes to put paint onto the foam so we could use different colors at the same time

Pressed them onto our bags, then lifted carefully

Did it again and again

Let them dry

Printed the other side

 

If we do it again we will:

Have lots of big paper to print matching wrapping paper

Have feathers and glitter and buttons and other fun stuff to add after they are dry

Plan different designs together & share our stamps

 

 

 

 

Making Stamps from Egg Cartons - Technique for preschool and older

When working with kids within a wide age span sometimes it is hard to find something that everyone will want to - and is able to do. This technique is a great solution to just such a conundrum!

Egg Carton Stamps

Age: 3 Years and up (prep required for younger ones, older kids can do it themselves)

Time: 10 – 40 min (depending on age)

Theme: Open ended – this is a technique that can be used for any theme

Books: Open ended

Materials:

Styrofoam Egg carton tops or produce trays (one tray/carton should be enough for two or more kids) 

Pencil(s)

Stamp Pads (assorted colors) – or in a pinch tempera paint works but is a lot messier 

Paper to print on

Adults & big kids get to use Scissors

Prep: Cut out flat pieces from the egg carton lid. They can be big or small. The most important part is that they are smooth and flat.

Activity: Each child gets a few pieces of foam to make stamps, a pencil to ‘carve’ with and paper to print on. Stamp pads can be shared.

Using the pencil ‘carve’ the desired design into the foam. This should be deep enough to create a clear impression but not so deep that it cuts through to the other side. With the stamp pad, ‘Ink’ the design, and then press firmly onto the paper. Lift the stamp and ta-da! A print!

Notes/Tips: Simple designs work best- and details can be added to the prints with colored pencils afterwards. Remember that a print is a mirror image – this is especially important when writing words! 

Suggested Projects: For little ones art is more about the ‘Ah-Ha’ than the finished product. Simply the discovery each time they lift their stamp makes it fun for them. For older kids I suggest to try one of these projects: Make matching greeting cards and wrapping paper, create an Artist’s Mark to be stamped on future artworks, design a set of stamps and create a series (ex: flowers and bugs for a spring series), or create their name in hieroglyphs