Time to Create – Pattern Printing

I love a bit of process-based art and so does my 2 year old. Boo is all about the PROCESS.... she cares very little about the product. And now I have in my lap a wonderful book filled with a stack of process art ideas. This book is Time to Create, Hand-On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children, written by Christie Burnett. With chapters ranging from drawing to sculpture to digital photography there is something for everyone no matter where your mess tolerance lies!

We, of course, picked something a little messy to try out first – pattern printing with found objects. It was great fun..... this is what you need if you want to try it too.

1. Paper – I spread out a large piece of brown paper from a roll that I picked up in the supermarket, but any paper will do the trick.
2. Sponges and takeaway/plastic containers – place one wet sponge into each container. Use one container for each colour. We used three.
3. Paint – squeeze a generous dollop of paint on top of the wet sponge. I spread the paint out over the sponge with a paintbrush. The wet sponge absorbs the paint turning the sponge into one large stamp pad.
4. Miscellaneous stuff that you can print patterns with – we used a potato masher, leaves from the garden, cookie cutters, crumpled paper, and Boo also experimented with her fingers and hands..... as a 2 year old will!

We turned our pattern print into a piece of wrapping paper for a special friend. This is just one of the many ideas in Time to Create, it is a great resource for encouraging art... even if you don't think you are arty!

Time to Create: Hands On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children is now available internationally through all major online booksellers, including The Book Depository, Amazon, Fishpond and Barnes & Noble.

Want to know more about Time to Create? Keep an eye on the following blogs for upcoming stops along our international blog tour...

Picklebums . An Everyday Story . Learn With Play At Home . Octavia & Vicky . Sesame Ellis . Nurturestore . Simple Kids . Our Everyday Things . Rainbows Within Reach . Teach Preschool . At Home With Ali . Go Explore Nature . Not Just Cute . Lessons Learnt Journal . PreK+K Sharing . The Imagination Tree

(I was given a copy of "Time to Create". I was under no obligation to write a post about it. All opinions are my own and I love this book.)