The Preschooler’s Busy Book (14 page)

Okay, this one takes courage, but it’s a lot of fun (and best done outdoors!).

Newspaper

Paper

Tennis balls

Tempera paint, liquid

Spread newspapers on the sidewalk or another firm surface, and place a large sheet of paper on the ground.
Dip tennis balls, a different one for each color, into liquid tempera paint, and bounce them onto the paper for a great painting effect.

Textured objects

Glue

Paper, white

Tempera paint and brush

Paintbrush or toothbrush (optional)

Gather together a collection of interesting objects, such as lace doilies, paper dolls, leaves, or letters, numbers, or shapes, cut out of cardboard.
Have your child place a dab of glue on each object and stick it to a white piece of paper.
Then tell her to paint over the paper and the shape.
When the paint is dry, remove the shape to see the negative image.
You can make a unique greeting card by folding the paper in half and painting on one side.

For a different effect, place the objects on a piece of paper and have your child spatter paint over them using a paint-brush or toothbrush.
Remove the objects from the paper and show your child the negative images that appear.

Construction paper

Tempera paint, liquid

Spoon

Rolling pin

Fold a piece of construction paper in half like a greeting card, then open it up.
Using liquid tempera paints and a spoon, have your child drop different colors onto one of the inside halves of the paper.
Fold the paper again with the paint on the inside, and have your child roll a rolling pin over the paper to spread the paint.
Open the paper and have your child use her imagination to decide what the blot looks like.
When the paint is dry, fold the paper so the paint is on the outside.
Use as a unique greeting card.

Leaves in different shapes and sizes

Masking tape

Sponge

Clothespins

Tempera paint (orange, yellow, red, and brown), liquid

Newspaper

On a fall walk with your child, collect several different types and colors of leaves.
At home, attach rolled pieces of masking tape to the backsides of the leaves and arrange them on the window in the way you want them to appear in stenciled form.
Make sure the leaves lay flat against the glass.
Dip small pieces of sponge clipped onto clothespins into liquid tempera paints in fall colors.
Blot on newspaper to absorb excess paint, then lightly dab the sponge around the edge of each leaf.
Use a new piece of sponge for each color.
When the paint is dry, carefully remove the leaves, leaving the outlines on the window.
The leaf patterns can be easily removed with window cleaner.

Young children can experience a sense of great accomplishment with printmaking.
Not only is printmaking fun, but it allows a young child to achieve an attractive reproduction of an object without a great amount of artistic skill or coordination.
Through the repetition of an impression, children can develop an appreciation of texture and design.

Printmaking involves making an impression of an object onto paper or another surface.
The object to be printed can be covered in paint using a brush or a paint roller, dipped into paint, or pressed on a print pad.

A print pad can be made by padding up newspaper and soaking it in liquid tempera.
Or place a thin sponge in a shallow tray or small bowl and cover it with several tablespoons of paint.
For some printmaking, a rubber stamp pad can also be used.
To cushion the print, place a newspaper under the paper on which the impression is to be made.

Many different types of paper can be used for printing; newsprint, construction paper, and cut-open brown paper bags are some of the cheaper options.
As with many of the painting projects in this chapter, you can use these printing activities to create some great, environmentally friendly gift wrap.

Various fruit and vegetables

Paring knife

Print pad or stamp pad

Paper

Cut fruits and vegetables into halves, quarters, circles, or any other shapes, dip into tempera paints or on a print or stamp pad, and then press onto plain or colored paper.
Apples cut in half will have a star design in the middle (where the seeds are), while green peppers make a great shamrock design.
Cut a potato in half and use a small paring knife to create a relief design: circles, squares, hearts, and so on.
If you make letters, don’t forget to carve them backwards so they will print correctly.

Playdough

Tools for making a design (pencil, bottle cap, cookie cutter, cooking utensils)

Print pad

Paper

Roll playdough into a ball and flatten it until it is about two inches thick.
On one side of the dough, press in a design using a pencil, bottle cap, cookie cutter, or other cooking utensil.
Gently press the clay onto the print pad then onto paper.
Repeat using various colors and designs.

½-inch softwood cubes or matchboxes

Small objects in interesting shapes (matchsticks, string, wood chips, curtain rings, bottle caps, or cardboard shapes)

Glue

Print pad or rubber stamp pad

Paper

Glue interesting shapes onto half-inch softwood cubes or matchboxes; matchsticks, string, wood chips, curtain rings, keys, bottle caps, or shapes cut from cardboard are just a few examples.
You can make letter or number stamps on wood cubes by drawing the image in reverse, then chipping away the surface except for the shape to be printed.
Or use larger objects, such as a potato masher, fly swatter, or salt shaker.
Press the object onto the print pad or rubber stamp pad and stamp it on the paper, varying colors and objects to create unique designs.

Scissors

Plastic mesh

Small foam ball

Twist-tie

Tempera paint, liquid

Shallow tray or dish

Paper

Cut out a square of plastic mesh large enough to gather around a small foam ball.
Secure the ends with a twist-tie.
Pour liquid tempera paint into a shallow tray or dish.
Dip the mesh ball into the paint, and dab the mesh onto a piece of paper.
Use different colors for a unique effect.

Scissors

Small thick sponges

Clothespins

Print pad

Paper

Cut sponges into various shapes.
On the top of each sponge cut two slots for clothespins, making the slots about a quarter-inch deep and three-quarter-inches apart.
Clip the clothespins to the top of the sponges for handles.
Press the sponges onto the print pad and stamp them onto the paper.
Use various shapes and colors for an interesting effect.

Thin foam

Scissors

Glue

Empty paper towel or toilet paper roll

Tempera paint, liquid

Shallow pan

Paper or a cut-open brown paper bag

Cut out some interesting shapes from thin pieces of foam.
Stars are nice, or make hearts, Christmas trees, or other season-appropriate shapes.
Glue the shapes onto empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls.
Pour some liquid tempera paint into a shallow pan big enough to fit the paper roll.
Dip the “roller” into the paint, then roll onto a sheet of paper or cut-open brown paper bag.

For a variation on this, use a real foam paint roller.
At even intervals, tie the roller with string.
This will make stripes when dipped in paint and pressed on paper.
Or cut chunks out of the roller to make a thick solid pattern with holes in it.

Fingerpaint

Plastic tabletop

Large sheets of paper

You can purchase commercial fingerpaint, or you can make your own using the fingerpaint recipes in
Appendix A
.
Place a small amount of fingerpaint onto a plastic tabletop, and have your child mess around until her design is complete.
Have her wash and dry her hands thoroughly, then place a large sheet of paper on top of the fingerpainting.
Rub all over the back of the paper with clean, dry hands.
Slowly lift the paper off the table and hang to dry.

This activity requires the use of a food warming tray or electric griddle.
Close supervision by an adult is recommended.

Food warming tray or electric griddle

Aluminum foil

Crayons

Paper

Oven mitts

Damp cloth

Cover a food warming tray or electric griddle with aluminum foil.
Set on low setting and, when the tray is warm, have your child make a drawing on the foil with a crayon.
The crayon will melt as you draw and produce beautiful, colorful designs.
To make a print, lay a sheet of paper over the crayon design and carefully smooth the paper down with oven mitts.
Lift it off and see the design transferred onto the paper.
Wipe the foil clean with a damp cloth and start again for a new print.

Construction paper

Crayons

Tempera paint, liquid

Paintbrush

Newspaper

Paper

Hot iron

Have your child completely color a piece of construction paper with crayons.
Show her how to crumple the paper carefully into a tight ball, then gently unfold the picture and notice how the surface has cracked.
Brush contrasting liquid tempera paint over the paper to create a mosaic effect.
When the picture dries, place it on a sheet of newspaper and cover it with a piece of thin paper.
Using a patting motion, iron the paper with a hot iron to smooth the wrinkles and to transfer the original image to the blank paper.