Hive a Good Time! A Summer Art Project For Kids
While leftover bubble wrap is pretty great for stomping on, we also love giving it new life as a painting tool for this buzz-worthy art project. The textural material is used to stamp out a sweet honeycomb for a family of hard-working bees. Begin by reading a fun book about bees, and then let your creativity bubble up!
What You Will Need:
- Butcher paper, poster board, or other sizeable background material
- Non-toxic (and washable, if desired) tempera paint—yellow, orange, and brown are good options for this project, but you can use any color you wish
- Bubble wrap
- Liquid dish soap
- Plates for paint
- Paint brushes
- Scissors
- Glue
- Drawing tools like crayons or markers
Directions:
- Put a few pieces of paper or poster board on the table. If using butcher paper, cut pieces to your desired size.
- Cut out a few pieces of bubble wrap—they can be big, small, shaped like a beehive, or whatever form you like. If old enough, your child can practice his scissor skills by cutting out his own shapes.
- Put each color of paint on a plate. Stir in a few drops of liquid dish soap to help with cleanup later.
4. Invite your child to dip the pieces of bubble wrap in the paint or paint them with a brush, and then press the painted side of the bubble wrap to the paper. She can stamp the pattern within a beehive outline that you’ve drawn beforehand, or together you can create the outline around the pattern after she has made it. Stamping is a blast so feel free to stamp out random honeycomb shapes on additional pieces of paper.
5. While the paint dries, draw some bees or color in printed versions and then glue the winged crew over the hive. Another option is to have your child dip his thumb in the paint and make thumbprints around the hive. He can then use crayons or markers to turn the prints into bees.
Feeling extra crafty? Add flowers into the mix! Your child can paint or draw them, use stickers, or make her own with pipe cleaners, pieces of tissue paper, beads, and glue.
