Aluminum Foil Finger Painting

This activity is not only a ton of fun, but it also supports and builds tactile awareness, vision stimulation, small motor skills, social skills, and pre-Braille skills.

Materials

• Roll of aluminum foil

• Any water-based paints such as Crayola Washable Tempra

• Paint – choose primary colours (red, yellow, blue)

• Glitter, sand, salt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon

Instructions

• Tape a large sheet of foil onto a flat surface, (i.e.: table, tray top)

• Let your child choose a colour/s (start with one then add a second)

• Change the textures so your child can explore the surfaces (crunched up, smooth, press a sheet of foil over a leaf or textured surface to create a relief).

• Encourage them to touch and explore – if your child is hesitant and/or tactile defensive try hand under hand or offer them a thick paintbrush.

• Offer different textures so your child can explore the surfaces (crunched up, smooth, create a relief image).

• Talk about the texture, the colours (i.e.: does it feel smooth? bumpy? what happens when red and yellow are mixed together?)

• Add cinnamon, vanilla, sand, salt, sugar, rice or glitter to change the texture to make it more appealing and add to the sensory experience.

Tips

• The foil will look interesting as the colours move across it, and by adding sand, etc., it may also make an interesting sound. Try shining a flashlight on the surface to add an interesting effect. Don’t forget to encourage siblings and peers to join and participate!

• Keep a damp washcloth close by in case your child prefers to be able to clean their hands from time to time.

• Add a few drops of dish soap into the paint – this will help the paint wash out of clothes much easier

Credit: Blind Beginnings, PRCVI, BC Blind Sports, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada
Photo Credit: Photo by Julia Maior on Unsplash