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Tracing Shapes is an Easy Preschool Art Activity for Kids

by Jean Van't Hul
November 12, 2010

Tracing shapes preschool – this is an is a fun art activity for kids to learn how 3D items translate into 2D drawings and paintings on paper.

Tracing Shapes for Kids Art

Maia has the croup, poor kid, and spent much of yesterday in a feverish lethargy. But she had a period of midday energy during which she asked for paints and paper and spent a good bit of time tracing shapes.

First, she sat down and traced baby bear onto her paper with a pen and painted in the tracing.

Tracing Shapes Preschool Art Activity

Kids Art Activity - Tracing Shapes and Toys

She then started finding other things around her to trace and paint, such as a roll of masking tape and a protractor. This reminded me of when we did tracings on the floor except that she really got into painting them this time.

It was fun to watch the process!

Kids Art Activity - Tracing Shapes and Toys

The masking tape shape became a donut, then a lemon jelly donut, then she added arms, legs, and hair.

Kids Art Activity - Tracing Shapes and Toys
Kids Art Activity - Tracing Shapes and Toys

Here are her finished paintings—some incorporating tissue paper triangles left over from another project, some just paint, one with a title.

ShapePainting_Pic13

And here’s that jelly donut girl. How fun! I love how she used the traced shapes as starting points for her paintings.

Kids Art Activity - Tracing Shapes and Toys

Do your kids like tracing shapes?

If you wanted to do a similar art activity with your kiddos, you could go on a treasure hunt through the house looking for interesting shaped items to trace.

Although the simplest ones (masking tape circles, for example) hold lots of potential too, obviously.

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Tracing Shapes for Kids Art

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