The Mom I Want to Be

True pointillism may be a little more refined than this. But with a giant make-it-yourself stamp pad and an array of circular printables, your little one can turn plain paper into a delirium of dots.

 

Large sponge

Washable, nontoxic tempera paint

Paper

Masking tape

Circle makers, such as Bubble Wrap, cotton balls, Q-tips, potatoes cut in half, round scrub brushes, and jar lids

 

Before you begin: Cover work surface, keep wipes handy, and wear a smock or old clothe.s  Begin by placing a large damp sponge on a cookie sheet. Squirt a few blobs of tempera paint onto the sponge, then either fold the sponge together to get the paint absorbed or roll it lightly with a rolling pin. Now you have a large nontoxic stamp pad that’s great for all kinds of stamping.  Offer your child lots of items that print circle shapes (see What You Need for ideas). Tape a large piece of paper to the table. Then show your child how to press the stamp into the ink pad and then onto the paper, lifting straight up to make a clean print. But don’t worry about holding her to this method — after all, if your child drags Bubble Wrap across the page, who cares?  Keep the fun going! This is a great time to talk about circles (and other shapes) with your child. You can also go on a scavenger hunt around the house for round things.