Painted Butterflies

Materials:

  • Pre-cut construction paper butterflies
  • Tempera paints work best, but watercolors will do in a pinch

Preparation: Making the cutout shapes

  • Take a piece of construction paper; white or light colors work best.
  • Fold it in half. Press hard on the crease.
  • Draw outline of half a butterfly
  • Cut out butterfly. Make at least one per child.

Painting The Butterflies

  • Keep the cutout butterfly folded when you give it to the children to paint.
  • Paint the cutout, but on only one side. It works best when there is a good amount of white space left.
  • Open the butterfly.
  • Fold the butterfly in on itself, so the paint side is now on the inside.
  • Press down on paper; you can rub from top to bottom too, but rub gently.
  • Carefully open butterfly to see design.