Foot Prints A great change from painting on the easel or at the table. It gives a variety of responsibilities to different schedules. Objectives Children ages 5-6 can demonstrate the knowledge of left and right Lang. IA
ages 4-5 can name primary colors Lang. IB
ages 3-4 can pull shoes and socks on and off SH III
ages 2 ½-3 can wash and dry hands and feet SH IV
and ages 1 ½-2 years can identify body parts Lang. IA Materials Sheets of butcher paper or newsprint 6-8 feet long; several colors of paint; bean bag pillow (or something similar); old sheet; towels; tub filled with warm; soapy water; talcum powder. Procedures 1. When the group is gathered, decide the order of turns so that everyone is free to relax and enjoy the project. Children might draw lots for turns, or teacher may decide arbitrarily.
2. The child who has first turn is settled on a bean bag pillow with feet extended. Use an old sheet to cover the pillow and catch the paint drops. The rest of the children are assigned to the foot painting team (usually two kids, one for each foot) and the clean-up team. Child then gives directions to the feet painters, describing the colors and patterns he or she would like the feet to be decorated. Discuss options—right foot red, left foot blue, toes one color, soles another, strips, polka dots, etc. Teacher reviews with the painters which foot is left and which is right, and the parts of the foot (toes, arch’s, balls, soles, etc.)
3. As painting proceeds, focus child’s attention on feeling the paintbrush on different parts of his feet. Help the child count toes as they get painted.
4. When the foot painting is finished to everyone’s satisfaction, help child stand up on the butch paper and walk around making footprints. Discuss the patterns of the prints. “Did the painters use the right colors and designs? Which print is the right foot? Which is the left?”
5. After making footprints, child goes to the clean-up station, sits on a chair and soaks feet in a tub of warm soapy water. The clean-up crew washes off the paint thoroughly and helps child get their socks and shoes back on. A sprinkle of talcum power is very helpful in getting damp feet back into socks.
6. Children then rotate assignments and repeat the process with the next child. After all children have had turns being painted, painter, and clean-up crew finish the footprint mural by putting names on the footprints. Children may have their hands painted and make handprints next to foot prints. Have them match right and left prints of hands and feet.
7. Hang the mural low on the wall.
Comments: Keep the group small, four or five at the most, so that everyone can participate in the discussion of the painting, footprint-making, and clean-up processes. No part of the activity should be rushed, and children need to be involved while they wait for their turns to be painted.
EXTENSION: Mobiles: when the mural is dry or on another day, kids can cut out their hand and foot prints, attach a string to each print, and make a mobile. Variations: 1.
Have children
take off shoes and socks. Line a tray with an old towel soaked in paint. Have them step on the towel and then onto
butcher paper to make footprints. If possible, do this outside on a warm day,
eliminate the paper, and let them make footprints on a hard-surfaced area.
Children can then try walking, hopping, running, skipping, etc. to see the
results of the way they move on their footprints patterns.
2.
A shorter
project. Line a tray with an old towel soaked with paint. With shoes on, let
children step on towel and then walk on a sheet of butcher paper about 8’ long.
Have a mat at the end of the paper to wipe their feet on. Later, let other
children try to guess whose shoes made which prints.
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