Shape Art - Cardboard Roll Shape Printing

Make some easy shape printing tools using a cardboard tube, and try this fun shape art activity for kids!

Learn about 2D shapes while exploring this simple process art activity with your kids!

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My preschool class loves this simple art activity!

The last time I did this with a group of 3 and four year olds it was so great to see how each child approached this activity. Some of the kids like to cover the paper in shapes, some like to carefully print shapes in neat rows, and some like to use the shapes to make pictures. A few kids were interested in making their own shape stamps from the cardboard tubes and some kids were all about getting as much paint on the paper as possible!

This open-ended art activity allows for all these ideas and more!

Cardboard Roll Shape Stamps.

Ages:

2 years +

Learning Areas:

art, maths

Set up:

easy, 5 mins

This simple shape printing activity is a great way to learn about 2D shapes, and a fun, open-ended art activity that kids will love!

Supplies:

Paper – sheets of paper or try a large roll!
Liquid tempera paint
Cardboard rolls

We used regular printer paper for this activity, and washable liquitemp paints in primary colours – red, blue, and yellow.

How to:

Start by cutting your cardboard rolls down to size if you need to, make them the same height as your child’s hand for easy grabbing!
Bend and fold each cardboard tube into the desired shapes. Use sharp folds along the side of the tube to get nice corners for your shapes, and then just manipulate the shapes until you are happy with each one.
We made a square, a triangle, and a circle, but you could make any shape you like.
Place a little paint onto a plate or flat surface, dip the cardboard roll shapes into the paint and print them onto the paper!

Tips and Extension Ideas:

Name the shapes as your child is printing them, talk about how many sides they have, and how many corners.
Name the colours as your child uses them, note what happens if any colours mix.
Have some extra cardboard rolls on hand so the kids can experiment making their own shapes to print with.
Allow your children lots of time to explore and experiment and to make lots of shape prints, the focus is on the process of making them, you don’t have to keep all of them when you are done.
Use a big roll of paper and use your shape prints into wrapping paper!