Finger painting is one of the best ways to introduce your children to art. Not only is the messy play fun, it is also important for children’s development. Painting with their own hands allow children to engage their five senses and thus increase their understanding of their body as well as the world. Not only does it stimulate children’s creative expression, it can also enable them to improve social skills through communication and collaboration with others.
However, finger painting might be quite challenging, especially to those unfamiliar with the method. Here are a few finger painting ideas that you can try with the young ones.
A whole palm, reimagined
Start with painting with your whole palm (or footprint), and turn it into another ‘creature’ (e.g. bird, flower, fish).
Thumb prints
To draw things in large numbers (e.g. string lights or leaves on trees), paint using your thumb. Use three to five colours for a more cheerful tone.
Foam stickers and mixed colours
Put some foam stickers before mixing up the colours, and remove afterwards. If you have difficulty finding foam stickers, you can also cover the canvas (or whatever medium you’re fingerpainting on) with papers cut your desired shapes.
Tips:
- Use thick, edible and non-toxic paint if possible to best ensure the children’s safety. To make edible paint, mix rice cereal or yoghurt with natural food colouring.
- Wet hands before painting, and prepare buckets of water to wash hands.