Hands down painting with feet is my children’s favorite art activity. Feet are often forgotten as a wonderful tool for painting as well as exploring the sense of touch. Simple feet paintings combine both and are sure to bring on lots of giggles! Added bonus? You end up with gorgeous paintings that we often turn into homemade wrapping paper.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO PAINTING WITH FEET
long roll of butcher paper
tempera paints (red, blue, yellow and white)
something to hold the paper down (I used gallon size paint containers and rocks)
large bowl or hose for washing off paint
paper towels or rags for clean up
AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT ENHANCED THROUGH PAINTING WITH FEET
sensory exploration
color exploration
creativity
artistic expression
gross motor development (specifically balance)
language development
HOW TO SET UP PAINTING WITH FEET
Roll out a long piece of white butcher paper (ours was about 15 feet long) and secure with some sort of weighted objects (we used gallon size paint containers and rocks).
Drizzle on small amount of red, yellow, blue and white paint. My children LOVED watching me do this!
Next give your children the opportunity to walk all over the paper. Be careful! It can be slippery. So much laughter occurred while painting with feet!
Color mixing was evident during this painting with feet experience. Luca: “Mama, look! I made so much green!” Me: “I didn’t put green on the paper. How did it get there?” Luca: “I mixed blue and yellow with my feet!”
Be prepared this activity can get a little messy especially if one of the children takes a little tumble. I had my kids put on clothes that we could easily throw in the washing machine. Even so, Charlotte slipped on the paint and become a human work of art!
Following my children’s lead we worked on this artwork until they said they were done. We then admired their work. I love the results!
Once dry the foot paintings make fantastic homemade wrapping paper. I roll it up like regular wrapping paper and we use throughout the year for holidays and birthdays. People always comment on how much they love it!
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LeAnn Taylor says
I did this back in the late summer with my (then) almost-2-year-old and 4 1/2-year-old. They still talk about it all the time!! They ask to do it almost every time we paint! Unfortunately, it has been too cold, as washing in the garden hose is a necessity after this activity! It was terribly slippery and could be quite dangerous on the concrete, but with Mommy close-by, we survived! We truly can’t wait to do it again and will do so the first chance we get! Thanks so much for sharing.
Meredith @ Homegrown Friends says
So glad you had fun LeAnn! Yes it can be slippery. Using very little paint helps make it easier.
Catherine Stephenson says
I love this idea for my little girl as well as my students from my dance studio. These types of activities are great for learning movement and being aware of your body and your feet. I think I will recommend my little ones try this over the summer and show me what they did when they get back to class. Thanks for sharing!
Meredith @ Homegrown Friends says
What a great way to connection home and dance studio! Love the idea!
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