Kids' Art Activities: Make Paint Prints

Summer kids’ art activities anyone? Of course. The weather is warm and the kids are throwing, “I’m bored mommy” at you every few minutes. Before handing over the tablet, or locking yourself in your room, get crafty. This summer paint print encourages creativity and lets kids explore the season through art. Oh, and they get to use something other than brushes.

Paint Print Summer Art

Take a look outside. Really. Right now, and with your child. Ask your kiddo to tell you what she sees. Does she see the sun shining? Does she see colorful flowers? Maybe she sees a tree with fruit growing on it? Whatever she sees, asking your child to name the different parts of the summer-time scene that’s right outside your window.

When your child gets crafting, she’ll use the summer scene that she just saw as a reference. She can draw it onto a piece of paper or wait and try to recreate it with paint.

Learning and Development

Fine motor skills – eye-hand coordination, dexterity
Color recognition and identification
Science – the summer season
Problem-solving

Arts and Crafts Materials

Tempera paint
Bathroom-sized paper cups
Card stock paper

How-to Steps

If your child hasn’t already drawn a picture, ask them to do this now. Or your little artist can paint with only her mind as the guide.
Pour the paint into cup-sized pools. Use a palette, wax paper or reused cardboard.
Paint the summer scene. Put the cup in the first paint color, coating either the top or the bottom. Your child can use every part of the cup for this paint project. Press the painted side of the cup down onto the paper.
Repeat the paint print steps for more colors. Your child can paint print the paper until the entire scene is complete.

Art Activity Extensions

You might notice right about now that you have several partially paint cups left over. Instead of tossing these out, add a part two to this summer art activity.

Your child can paint a stem onto another piece of card stock paper. Next, use the cup to make a flower head. Help your child to cut the paper cup from the top close down to the bottom. Bend the cup pieces back, folding them down to make flower petals.

Use up the rest of the leftover paint and have your child add colors to the paper cup. When she’s down, and the paint is dry, she can glue it onto paper.