For this fun kids’ art activity, we used fruit and veggie odds and ends as stamps. Making fruit and veggie prints is an easy way to make artwork using scraps of fruits and vegetables that would just get tossed in the trash.
I get that you need to keep your kids busy because you feel stressed about all the stuff you need to get done today. That’s why my mission is to…
1. Find fun, quality kids’ activities and show you step by step how to do them.
2. Save you time and energy by using supplies from around the house or show you where to easily get them.
3. Inspire you to be creative and play with your kids in new and exciting ways.
Read on to see how we turned fruit and veggie scraps into beautiful artwork in this messy, fun toddler art activity.
How We Did It: Making Fruit & Veggie Prints
First, I collected fruit and veggie scraps.
I’d been saving the ends of our vegetables for this kids’ art activity. I also found an old carrot and a dried out lime in the produce bin of our fridge, so those got sacrificed for this art activity as well.
*Make sure to check the notes in the activity printout for more information on trimming fruits and vegetables for stamps.
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Next, I squeezed some washable finger paint onto a paper plate.
I explained to my two-year-old, Ella, that the veggies and fruits were NOT for eating, but for stamping! She was very excited about the idea.
She got dressed in her toddler art smock. An art smock is a must-have for messy arts and crafts! It lowers my stress level immensely and makes clean-up a total breeze.
If you stress about messes, then you need an art smock.
You’ll enjoy doing art with your kids so much more if you’re not concerned about their clothes getting covered in paint or glue. And you know what? They’ll enjoy it more, too.
This link is for one that’s very similar to our IKEA one. It’s sized for toddlers and comes in lots of adorable prints and colors! Also, it has long sleeves just like ours! Yaaas!
First up was the carrot stick. I reminded her to dip the carrot in the paint and press it onto the paper firmly.
She took her time swirling the colors all together before making carrot prints.
Next up was the celery stick.
I pointed out how the celery made a different shape from the carrot. Ella inspected the paint-covered end of her celery stamp.
Yup. Looks different from a carrot. Mom was right.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
I got out a new sheet of paper, a 12×12 sheet this time, for the next veggie stamp: the celery bunch.
I have to admit, I was excited about this one. The celery ends (root? bunch? crown?) looked like it would make a pretty flower shape.
We only could stamp four times before we ran out of room, but this was my favorite stamp of all the veggies, though.
Ella also tried stamping with a zucchini. She decided to use the stalk part instead of the round zucchini end. The stalk made a flower shape.
She also used romaine lettuce and half a lime.
Reflecting on our kids’ Art Activity
At the end of the activity, I asked her to summarize the art process for making fruit and veggie prints.
“I got the vegetables over there and then I do this and I put it over there.”
I understood that, somehow. We’ll work on being a little more descriptive another time.
Your Turn! Fruit & Veggie Printing
Ready to turn your fruit and veggie scraps into art? Grab all the supplies listed below and get to it!
Make sure to check out the Notes section for suggestions on how to trim the fruit and vegetables for stamping.
Fruit & Veggie Prints
Supplies
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Washable finger paint
- Construction paper
- Paper plate
- Art smock (optional)
Instructions
- Cut your fruit and vegetable scraps so that the end to be used for stamping is flat and level. See suggestions for trimming fruit and vegetables in the notes below.
- Squeeze a small amount of finger paints onto a paper plate.
- Get your kids dressed in their art smocks. For each kid, set out construction paper and the paper plate of paint.
- Select a fruit or vegetable, dip it into the paint, and firmly press the paint end onto the construction paper. Repeat several times as desired.
Notes
- Apples: cut in half crosswise and remove seeds
- Bananas: slice or cut in half lengthwise
- Citrus: cut in half
- Pears: cut in half lengthwise
- Bell peppers: slice crosswise and remove the seeds
- Broccoli: use florets or the stalk
- Cabbage or lettuce: trim off the base
- Carrots: slice into longer pieces, or cut into shapes
- Celery: use the stalk or trim off the whole root end
- Mushrooms: cut in half lengthwise
- Okra: cut in half crosswise
- Potatoes: cut into shapes
The Benefits of Process Art for Toddlers
Art for toddlers is really just about the process of making art, not about the outcome. It may not be “pretty” to some grown-up eyes, but to kids, it is beautiful, it is unique, and it is theirs.
Process art is great for toddlers because it allows them to explore different ways of making art without trying to conform to anyone else’s expectation but their own.
Process art will grow our toddlers’ creativity, fine motor skills, sensory processing, and social skills!
So let your kids experiment with this art activity.
- Try using the leafy end of a celery stalk as a paintbrush.
- Brush a corn cob with paint and roll it on paper to see what effect that makes.
- Cut veggies into shapes.
- Try slicing fruits and veggies in different ways to change up the prints.
- Let them smear the paint all over the paper if that’s what they choose to do!
What Can I Do with All These Fruit & Veggie Prints?
1. Frame it! My toddler loves seeing her artwork up and showing it off to Grandma and Grandpa.
2. Turn it into a card. This would make a sweet Mother’s Day card!
3. Use your fruit & veggie prints as wrapping paper. Stamp on recycled newspaper or on the backside of recycled wrapping paper.
4. Laminate your toddler’s art prints and use as placemats.
I hope you enjoyed reading about our kids art activity, fruit & veggie stamping! Pin this post for later and then let us know in the comments which fruits or veggies you’ll try!
Snap a pic and share on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. I’d love to see what your creative kids come up with!
Other Kids’ Art Activities and resources
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
