We are back at it again with brand new footprint art for your early learners. With all the extra time we have on hands during this pandemic, we decided to go all out this time. Carter is obsessed with space, so he requested a rocket ship. I decided to celebrate the beginning of spring with a butterfly for Charlotte.
Ziploc Finger Painting
Carter loves to paint and we use his watercolor book often, but finger painting is not my jam. He actually doesn’t love the mess it makes on his hands either. So Ziploc bags to the rescue!
I use card stock because paper tends to get soggy and tear. Simply squeeze some of your favorite paint (we use leftover acrylics) onto the card stock in blobs or swirls. Then slide the paper inside the Ziploc bag and close tightly.
After that, let your little artists go to work. It’s perfect for babies and big kids alike. And remember… no mess!
I try to have my kiddos cover as much of the paper as possible. You want to make sure you have enough paint in the bags that it can spread easily, so if you need to open it up and squeeze a bit more that’s not a problem. When they’re finished, I personally find it easier to rip the Ziploc bag down the sides to remove the art.
Here’s a look at our finished projects.
Decorative Cutouts
While the finger paintings were beautiful enough to be considered art on their own, we had bigger plans for these guys. I used Carter’s to make stars and flames. Charlotte’s were turned into clouds. Because we always make 4 copies of each project (one for us, one for each set of grandparents, and a spare in case of art tragedies along the way), I like to make stencils for this part. If I was just making one of each, I’d be more inclined to free hand this part.
Footprint Time
For this project I needed the footprints to go on top of our clouds and flames, so we glued those in place first. I like to use ink pads for the footprints instead of paint because the ink shows the finer details better.
I discovered our glue sticks were dried out, so Carter got to experience the joy that is Glue Dots. At this point, we also opted to cut the extra pieces of the rocket out of construction paper. If your kiddos are older, they could totally draw that part on themselves. I didn’t get any pictures of that process, probably because it’s all hands on desk when Carter is using scissors. This kid is way proud of his artwork!
Finished Projects
l looove these. They may be my favorite ones yet. You can grab the printables in my shop if you don’t want to start from scratch. I’d love to see your creations. If you decide to make these on your own, tag me on Instagram!
Looking for more ideas? Browse our previous art projects here.
