Kids love making art projects. Kids love displaying their art work. Kids love playing in water. This inexpensive self-portrait project lets them do all three! This project is designed to get the whole family involved. Anyone of any ability and age can participate and all of the materials used are non-toxic and safe for kids and pets. Kids can be expressive in a positive way while using all of their sensory capabilities. It is relaxing and encourages exploration of thoughts and emotions in a safe way and, it promotes physical coordination, self-regulation, self-esteem, and bonding. 1, 2, 3…create!
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You’ll need some supplies to get started. Most of these you probably already have around the house!
Supplies
- Roll of Brown or White Kraft Paper
- Assortments of color mediums such as washable non-toxic paints, sidewalk chalk, paint markers etc.
- Wooden Handled Sponge brushes, large sponges of varying textures (whole or cut/torn into smaller pieces—regular or irregular will give different effects), regular paint brushes of varying sizes for detail work, old rags (different materials/textures)
- Skim milk (pint or half gallon)
- Mist bottle or any kind of fine mist sprayer (optional)
- Garden hose to clean up with afterward if desired
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Need to save money?
- Use paper bags of any size instead of the Kraft paper roll to do smaller projects (i.e. hands, feet, facial silhouette), or look for a single wrapping paper size roll if you are only doing this for one or two kids
- Make your own paint for another project (egg tempera or powdered milk paint – recipes available at Tinker Lab https://tinkerlab.com/ [3])
- Dollar stores sell multipacks of cheap sponges for next to nothing
- Old paint brushes work fine here
- Tear up old t-shirts, cut up terry cloth towels (do not wash with fabric softener), blue jeans etc. to paint with
- Repurpose a plant watering bottle for a mister
- Use baby food containers or jars or empty spice jars to save leftover paint (if you make your own)
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Variation #1
- Cut a piece of paper that is approximately 6” longer than your child is tall on either end.
- Have your child lie down on the paper.
- Have a sibling, friend, or adult trace your child’s outline on the paper using a paint marker or sidewalk chalk, or use the sun’s shadow to outline distorted body images.
- Use sponge brushes, fingers, rags, kitchen sponges, to fill in the body forms.
- Let kids personalize as they wish, telling a few things they’d like others to know about themselves – for example: What makes me me?
- Let dry and spray over with homemade fixative in mist bottle (wash thoroughly afterward as milk hardened is near impossible to get off) to preserve your kids’ masterpieces.
- Let dry again and display them on a hallway Walk of Fame in your home. Get the whole family in on it!
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Variation #2
- Have your child wear as little clothing as possible (swimsuits are great for this – use an old one as it might get ruined).
- Sponge on paint colors all over the back side of child’s body and clothing (or go around it if you wish and fill in later).
- Have the child lie down on the paper and make an impression or a “paint angel” on the paper.
- Let kids personalize as they wish.
- Let dry and spray over with homemade fixative in mist bottle (wash thoroughly afterward as milk hardened is near impossible to get off) to preserve your kids’ masterpieces.
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Variation #3
- Take a photo of your child next to his/her image on the Hall of Fame in the same pose as their painting.
- Print multiple copies of the same photo (3 or 4).
- Cut out body outline in all pictures and use raised dots (available where scrapbooking supplies are sold) to make 3-D images to display in a shadow box frame (available at big box, craft, and framing supply stores).
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Variation #4
- Cut the projects into manageable irregular shaped and sized pieces, larger for younger kids, kids with fine motor challenges, or kids with visual impairments. Cut into smaller pieces for older ones.
- Laminate and make puzzle pieces out of them.
- Attach Velcro to the back of each piece and attach to a cloth backdrop to make a life-size puzzle game.
- Add numbers or letters to the pieces to add an educational element to the fun.
- Create a decorative box to store pieces in (additional project).
Tips to make the project easy and fun:
- Recruit older kids as assistants.
- Assemble all supplies in advance.
- Have non-latex gloves in small sizes available for kids who may not like the feeling of the paint mediums on their hands or to keep mediums out of any wounds.
- Parents or older siblings can help younger children or children who struggle with completing projects on their own.
- Sponges and rags are easier to grasp with an open hand for kids who have fine motor issues and difficulty opening or closing their hands or isolating their fingers.
- Help the child who cannot write his/her name personalize their project by helping them to attach a photo of themselves.
- Do the project outside on a non-windy, warm, and sunny day to make for easy clean up.
- Allow a minimum of one hour to complete the project (aside from dry time).
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Brown Kraft paper roll Amazon [10]
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White Kraft paper roll Amazon [12]
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Types of sponges (other than common household sponges – all are available on Amazon by searching paint sponges or at any art supply, craft, or hobby store.
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Fine mist atomizer/sprayer [15] available on Amazon, craft or hobby stores, or anywhere Aromatherapy supplies are sold.
Read More Arts/Crafts Activities [16]
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- This is Me! Family Fun Art Project [20]
- Art Day Stress Free Way to Play [21]
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- Encourage Art with Cool Art Supplies [24]
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