The easiest and best way to do monoprinting with kids involves spreading the paint on a plexi sheet or frame with a roller and drawing a design with a Qtip.
Monoprinting has been the perfect printmaking technique for my kids.
It’s super easy, for one thing, and instead of making many prints of the same image (which they have no interest in doing) they can do something different each time. They can use different colors and imagery, experiment, see the results right away, and more on to experiment some more.
MY LATEST VIDEOSPlus, with this technique, we get nice crisp edges to the print and a professional-looking border—which I like more than the kids care about, frankly.
So here goes…
First, I created a brief video of the monoprinting process as well, demonstrating this printing activity.
Monoprinting with Kids the Easy Way
MATERIALS
- Acrylic or plexiglass box frame (or the bottom of a baking dish)
- Mini paint roller (you can find these with the house painting supplies at the hardware store)
- Tempera paint or Activity paint in a shallow dish
- Q-tips or cotton swabs
- Paper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Roll the mini paint roller in the paint to coat it evenly with paint.
2. Roll a layer of paint over the acrylic box frame.
3. Use a Q-tip to draw on the paint-covered plexi frame.
4. Center a sheet of paper over the frame and press it lightly but firmly with your hands.
5. Lift the paper to reveal your monoprint!
6. Roll a new layer of paint over the plexi frame and repeat.
Note: If you’re using a different color, you might want to rinse the frame off first.
How about you? Have you tried monoprinting with kids?
More Ideas for Monoprinting with Kids
- Fingerpainting and monoprinting
- Monoprint turtles with a cake pan
- Muffin tin printing with kids
- With fabric paint on a T-shirt
- Fingerpainting and printing on bubble wrap
- Monoprinting on plastic bags (on Alisa Burke)
- Make a simple book out of a series of your prints
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This is just so simple yet beautiful! I’ve done many different printmaking activities with children, yet this one caught my eye…I’ve never thought of the q-tip as a design material in quite this way. The prints turned out so nice. I am a big fan of your site and look forward to your emails. There is always something beautiful and helpful!
I’m so glad you find this post inspiring, Carolyn! And thank you so much for your kind words about my site and my emails!
Please add me to your email list….I am just getting back into art after MANY years. and want to explore some of your ideas to bond with my granddaughters who have been estranged from me by dysfunctional parents.
Rgds
I’m working with an artist to do printmaking with my preschoolers. How can I incorporate math and literacy objectives?
Hi Julie – I don’t focus on math and literacy objectives at The Artful Parent. I’m sure you can find that information elsewhere, though!