The Artful Parent: The Intersection of Art and Parenting

Materials:

Fruits and vegetables

Newsprint or construction paper

Tempera paint 

Assemble the fruits and vegetables you’d like to use. You can use fruits and vegetables you have in the kitchen or garden, or make a special trip to the grocery store with your child to pick out produce with potential. Look for star fruits, citrus fruits, or anything with an interesting shape or texture. You can cut an apple crosswise for the star pattern in the center. Try something really small, such as a blueberry or grape cut in half, or really big, such as a grapefruit or cabbage cut in half. Carrot tops or a bunch of parsley can be used to make an interesting feather pattern. Try a zucchini cut lengthwise and one cut across for different effects.       

Lay out a sheet of paper on a low table for your child. Use masking tape to hold the paper in place. Pour tempera paints in the colors of your choice into shallow bowls or plates. Show your child how to dip the fruit or vegetable in the paint, then press it firmly to the paper, lifting up smoothly to create a clean print. (Don’t worry about clean prints with the younger toddlers, just introduce them to the general concept of printmaking, and the joys of using something other than a paintbrush or hands to transfer paint to paper.) Repeat the process as desired with different fruits and different colors of paint.

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This is reprinted from my “Small Hands, Big Art” article in the July/August 2007 issue of Mothering magazine. Virginia is printing with a grapefruit in the photo above. What do you print with?