Tempera Paint Activities

Tempera Apple Stars

• Tempera paint can be used to demonstrate how geometrical shapes can be found easily in the natural world, such as in a sliced apple. To make apple prints, pour tempera paint into a jelly roll tray or flat dish. Slice an apple in half, and allow each child to dip the cut side into tempera paint. When he presses the sliced side of the apple onto paper, it will leave a print of the apple, which will contain a star inside the middle. Once the paint dries, you can trace around the stars to enable children to see them more clearly.

Tempera Footprint Penguins

• Children can become very excited when they are allowed to put tempera paint all over their feet, such as in making tempera footprint penguins. Although this is a more messy tempera paint craft, tempera footprint penguins are easy to make for even the youngest child. Simply paint the bottom of the toes and the outside edge of each child's foot with black tempera paint. This will leave the middle of the foot empty. Paint the empty area with white tempera paint. Place a piece of construction paper onto the floor, and allow your child to step onto the paper. When she lifts up her foot, there will be an impression of her footprint left on the page, which will resemble a penguin. Once the paint dries, you can embellish the penguin by adding on eyes, a top hat and a bow tie.

Tempera Handprint Rainbow

• Tempera paint can be used to teach children about the color spectrum in a fun and exciting way by dipping their hands into different colors of tempera paint to make a rainbow. To make a tempera handprint rainbow, you will need at least seven flat dishes in which you will pour in the seven colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Give each child a sheet of light blue construction paper to represent the sky. You child will dip the palm of his hand into the red tempera paint, then press his hand print onto the page. After he wipes off his hand with a towel, he will repeat this process with each of the other colors, pressing them onto his sheet in an arch. One the page is dry, you can hang it up to display the beautiful rainbow.