Last Updated on February 17, 2024 by Sheryl Cooper
Inside: Looking for some easy shamrock art for toddlers? This St. Patrick’s Day art adds fine motor building by replacing paintbrushes with cotton swabs. Free printable included!
Our 2 year old class was full of energy as soon as they walked in the door.
I’m talking running, pushing, screaming.
I needed something to calm them down, and was thankful I had this simple shamrock process art activity planned.
There is something about painting on slick foil that is so soothing. Add some color mixing and it is even more fun!
Simple prints on blank paper can be made, or you can download the free shamrock printable and add it to your toddler St. Patrick’s Day curriculum.
Either way, it’s open-ended, calming, and a great way to strengthen those little fingers.
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Shamrock Art for Toddlers {Free Printable}
What we used:
- Cotton swabs (also known as Q-Tips)
- Yellow tempera paint
- Green tempera paint
- Tin foil
- Shamrock printable (scroll down towards bottom of post for download)
Setting up this St. Patrick’s Day art for toddlers:
I taped a large piece of paper to the surface of a table as a small group activity. However, you could also make this be an independent art activity by giving each child his own piece of foil. Just make sure to tape it to the surface or it will slide around.
CLICK HERE to find 20+ St. Patrick’s Day ideas for toddlers!
I added a dollop of yellow paint and a dollop of blue paint on either side of the large sheet of foil. (When done individually, only use one dollop of each color.)
I chose to use cotton swabs instead of paint brushes as another way to strengthen the fingers, discouraging “fisting”. Because the cotton swabs are shorter, encouraging the tripod grasp. This is an important pre-writing skill.
The foil has a slick finish, so the paint moves around easier while the blue and yellow paints mixed.
Lines and curves were made as the paint moved and mixed.
Typical of toddlers, some tried a few strokes and left. However, others stayed for quite awhile, absorbed in moving the cotton swabs all around the foil.
We then took a fresh sheet of white paper and pressed it on top of the painted foil.
Our toddlers love making prints, as it feels a bit magical as they lift the paper to find a colorful design.
We could see all 3 colors on our prints!
For a St. Patrick’s Day activity, you can use the same process, swapping the plain sheet of paper with a shamrock. (Make sure to grab the free printable!)
You can take it one step further and cut out the shamrock, gluing it onto a solid black piece of paper. Or leave it as it is. Your choice.
No matter which idea you choose, this is an easy and fun St. Patrick’s Day art for toddlers!
Click on the photo below for the free pdf download:
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Oh my goodness. This looks so much fun even for older kids. Im always looking for creative ways to use paint other than a brush. Im going to incorporate that in my lesson plan next week. Thank you so much for sharing.
Yes, older kids would love it, too!
What kind of paint do you use? I saw a child’s long, white, ruffled sleeve in a few photos and was wondering if she got paint on it? Thanks.
Hi Jenn! We use washable paint. I was nervous about that dress, btw. But we tell parents from the start that we can get messy at school and please do not dress them in their nice clothes.