Featured in The Possibilities of Play: Imaginative Learning Centers for Children Ages 3-6, by Dr. Jean Feldman and Carolyn Kisloski, this learning center activity is a perfect opportunity to practice observation, creativity, and small-motor skills.

Nature Prints

Materials

Tempera paint
Paper plates
Large sheets of newsprint
Natural objects such as pine boughs, feathers, sticks, and so on

What to Do

Pour a little paint on the paper plates. Invite the children to dip natural objects in the paint and then brush them on their papers. For extra support, demonstrate how to press items firmly on paper to make a print. For outside fun, take the paints and paper to the playground and let the children find their own natural objects to print. After the prints dry, see if they can identify the items on their papers.