Sun Prints

What You Need:

• Scratch foam or Styrofoam tray
• Wooden stylus or toothpick
• Clear acetate (overheard projector sheets)
• Paintbrush or brayer (roller)
• Large paper plates
• Non-toxic water soluble block printing ink or tempera paint in red, yellow and orange
• Newspaper or other large piece of paper
• Rolling pin

What You Do:

1. Before you begin, lay down a few sheets of newspaper over your work surface.
2. Help your child draw a design of the sun on the scratch foam using the wooden stylus or toothpick. Talk about the shape of the sun as they draw, and encourage them to add as many embellishments as he likes, such as sun rays, spirals, and other shapes.
3. Squeeze each color of ink or paint onto a paper plate, one color per plate.
4. Have your child roll the brayer or dip the paintbrush into the paint. Encourage them to try blending colors together to see what happens.
5. When they are done mixing, help them ink the foam block with the brayer or paintbrush.
6. Place a clear acetate sheet on top of the newspaper. Press the printing block onto the sheet, then fold the newspaper over them like a book or sandwich.
7. Press on the newspaper bundle to help the paint transfer by rolling over it with the rolling pin, or have your child use their hands.
8. Open the newspaper and lift the sheet from the print block.
9. Repeat these steps to make more prints in different colors.
10. Set the prints aside to dry. When you're finished, hang the print in a sunny window to brighten up the room.

Once your child gets a taste of printing, they'll be hooked! Try printing on a variety of other materials like construction paper, tissue paper, or fabric.