MaterialsPrinting Tools - cookie cutters
- corks
- corn cobs
- cotton swabs
- egg whisks
- erasers, big
- feather dusters
- flyswatters
- foil balls
- foot & toe pads
- hairbrushes
- pine needles
- pine tree branches
- plastic cups
- playdough balls
- potato mashers
- rags
- rolling pins
- shoe soles
- socks filled with sand
- sponges
- string
- thread spools
- toy cars
- toys
trays
large paper, variety
wet paper towels
Styrofoam grocery trays
paint, different colors
masking tape
Prepare (Adult)- Select a few printing tools (see list) and put them on trays.
- Spread a large sheet of paper on the table.
- Make a printing pad by folding a few squares of paper towels together and holding them under a faucet to moisten. Place them in a Styrofoam tray and pour a puddle of paint on the towels. Do thisfor each color of paint in each tray.
- Place trays of paint near the printing tools. Place a loop of masking tape on the underside of each tray to secure it.
Process (Child)Dip one of the printing tools into the paint (in the Styrofoam tray), and then press it on paper to make prints. Some ideas and techniques are: - dip a flyswatter, egg whisk, or pine branch in paint and swat or hit the paper.
- roll a rolling pin in paint and then roll it over the paper to make a zigzag pattern.
- dip thread spools, cookie cutters, or a potato masher in paint and press on the paper.
- pour a puddle of paint in the center of the paper and press a cork, hairbrush, or comb into the paint and then on the paper.
- stick foot pads on a rolling pin and roll it in paint and then on the paper.
Variations- Favorite T-Shirt: Print on a T-shirt with print tools or hands dipped in fabric paint from a hobby store. (Put a layer of newspaper inside the shirt first so the paint won't soak through.)Allow the shirt to dry completely overnight and then put it in the dryer by itself for four minutes to set the color, or follow the fabric paint instructions. Expect-and enjoy-"child style"printing designs! Note: Fabric paint is permanent, so protect clothes, nearby surfaces, and children. Cut dried sponge sheets into any shapes and use them for printing. For fun, re-hydrate them in abowl of water before making prints.
Tip- Don't be surprised if children scrub and rub the printing tools on the paper to see what the paint will do, eventually even tearing through the paper. They are exploring how the tools andpaint behave; experimenting is to be expected.
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