In this activity, children use natural and homemade paintbrushes, such as, feathers, sponges, fern leaves, and cotton balls, to paint designs onto paper. The different materials provide opportunities for children to explore the textures and patterns that can be created by objects. Since the emphasis is on the designs that the different materials can create on the paper, rather than paint color, it is necessary to use only one color of paint.
Materials
- Paint
- Cookie trays
- Heavy paper
Recycled, natural, and found items, such as:
- Broom bristles
- Plastic comb
- Cattails with long stems
- Fern leaves
- Feathers
- Pine Needles
- Koosh balls
- Chopsticks
- Kitchen sponges
- Mesh bath puffs
- Yarn
- Toys with wheels
What to Do
1. Pour a small amount of paint in each of the cookie trays.
2. Let each child initially choose 2 objects to use for painting.
3. Help the child choose an object to dip into the paint and drag, dab, or roll it across the paper.
4. As children are painting, circulate among them commenting on what they are doing, encouraging them to experiment with the objects, asking open ended questions related to their explanations, and giving them language for what they are doing. For example:
- “What kind of print do you think the pine needles will make? Will they be lines or circles”
- “What a great idea! You used the pinecone two different ways. You rolled it across the paper here, and you also used the tip to make dots over here.”
- “What would happen if you used the yarn to gently drip paint onto the paper?”
- “Can you use one object to make different kinds of prints?”
5. When children have sufficiently explored their objects, they may choose additional items. The time needed for exploration may vary for individual children.
6. After an appropriate amount of time (depending on age) end the activity and ask children to share their favorite object and the print it made. How you organize the sharing will depend on the ages of the children in your group. A few ideas are: Share prints individually at the end of the exploration or as a circle time activity. Create an art gallery by post the paintings on a wall in the room. Be sure to display the object that made each of the prints. Have the children all hold up their paintings and objects at the same time for everyone to see.
Ways to Continue the Learning
Going through the activity multiple times and allowing plenty of time for exploration allows children to build on their learning. They are able to observe other children and combine what they see with their own explorations to problem solve and create something new. Repeating the same activity several times will give new results.
Here are some additional ideas for related exploration of texture and shape in the classroom:
- Go on a nature walk with children, collecting items to add to the homemade paintbrush collection. Encourage children to predict the kinds of prints each object will make.
- Use the objects to make a single print on each of 20 index cards. Laminate the cards and set them in a basket of objects. Children can explore the prints and try to match them to the objects that made them.
- Challenge children to find objects that will make a particular shape on the paper. For example, ask them to find objects that will make circle prints.
When children are encouraged to experiment with the shapes and patterns that can be created using unconventional brushes, they reinforce shape and texture awareness. These are properties they will explore later not only through art, but in elementary science and math as well.
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