Painting with Corn!

What You Need:

• 3-5 Ears of corn 

• Washable paint (multiple colors)

• Paint Brush/Foam Brush

• Paper

What You Do:

1. Take out an ear of corn. If the corn has the husk, model how to shuck the corn. Then, have your child remove the remaining husks.

2. Ask your child to choose 2-3 colors of paint.

3. Say, “Do you know what a pattern is?” Identify a pattern as something that repeats more than once. Invite your child to think about different patterns they see in the world (e.g., on animals, floors, clothing, shoes, etc.).

4. Encourage your child to design a pattern (something that repeats) on an ear of corn, using the paint. Ask questions such as:

• Have you covered the whole ear of corn?
• What pattern did you create?
• How do you know it is a pattern?

5. Explain to your child that the next step will be to carefully roll the ear of corn all over the paper. 

6. Invite your child to repeat this process with the remaining ears of corn using different paint colors.

This activity has so many extensions! Your child can create cards, name tags, wrapping paper, or artistic patterns! As you create with your child, ask them to describe the steps, reflect on their creations, and think about how they could create something different next time