Materials
A variety of old shoes
Tempera paint
Styrofoam trays or aluminum pans, large
Mural paper, 3' x 6' (1 m x 2 m)
Newspapers
Instructions
What to do
1. Read or recite the nursery rhyme, "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe." Tell the children
that they are going to have some fun with shoes.
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread,
And kissed them all soundly and sent them to bed.
2. Make a display of different kinds of old shoes.
3. Cover a large area of the floor with newspapers and lay the mural paper on top of them.
4. Pour different colors of tempera paint in the trays.
5. Invite the children to select a pair of shoes from the different styles and put them on.
6. One by one, encourage the children to select a tray of paint and step into it, then walk on the
mural paper. To avoid slipping, hold the child's hand while she walks on the paper.
7. Continue until everyone has had a chance to leave footprints on the paper.
More to do
Math: Make a graph that shows the different types, sizes, and colors of shoes that the children
wore for the art activity.
More art: Cut the mural in the shape of a giant shoe.
