Social Distance Learning Project: Basic Printmaking

Project: Basic Printmaking

Video: Basic Printmaking

Making prints is a delightful activity because it is so easy to make little changes that extend a child’s engagement. Part of the fun is the mystery of not knowing exactly how a print will turn out. No two are ever the same!

Styrofoam Prints

DIRECTIONS:

1. Clean a Styrofoam tray and cut away any surrounding edge it may have. Use a pencil to score lines in the tray. Press down hard enough so that there is a clear distinction in heights. These prints will be mirror images of what is drawn, so if you are including letters, be sure to draw them backwards and from right to left!

2. Use a paintbrush or roller to spread paint over the tray.

3. Carefully flip the tray onto a piece of paper, pressing all over the back to ensure you get the best print possible. Lift the tray straight up. Voila!

TRY THIS:

You can cut your own foam shapes from Styrofoam and glue them onto another tray as another option. You could also look around the house for other objects with interesting textures: bubble wrap, a sponge, corrugated board, a patch of screen, spare keys, a bunch of elastics, and a few buttons. The possibilities are endless!