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Sun prints: creating art using the power of the sun

2 Comments Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade

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Sun prints are one of the easiest art projects you can do with kids. All you need are a few basic materials and a sunny day (preferably with little to no wind). Sun prints are a great project you can use as a stand alone art project or as a science lesson about the power of the sun.

Note: For more art activities, see my Arts and Crafts for Kids page. For more science activities, see my Science Activities for Kids page. 

Sun prints: harness the power of the sun for an awesome art project that also teaches a science lesson. My kids were so excited to see how their sun prints changed after a few hours in the sun! #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

To make sun prints, the only “special” material you need is the right kind of paper. You can purchase sun paper specifically designed for creating sun art.

But I have found that construction paper also works really well, because the color fades quickly in the sun.  On the other hand, the colored card stock we own did NOT work well because it was pretty fade resistant.

To make sun prints, we laid our paper onto trays. We then used pieces from our Spielgaben set to create pictures on our papers.

We created pictures of flowers growing in the sun.

Sun prints: harness the power of the sun for an awesome art project that also teaches a science lesson. My kids were so excited to see how their sun prints changed after a few hours in the sun! #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity
 

And we created city maps with buildings and roads and bridges.

Sun prints: harness the power of the sun for an awesome art project that also teaches a science lesson. My kids were so excited to see how their sun prints changed after a few hours in the sun! #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

Then we set out trays out in the sun for several hours.

Sun prints: harness the power of the sun for an awesome art project that also teaches a science lesson. My kids were so excited to see how their sun prints changed after a few hours in the sun! #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity
 

After a couple of hours, we removed the objects from our papers to see our art projects. The sun did a fabulous job of fading our papers, leaving dark imprints where we had covered the papers with objects.

Sun prints: harness the power of the sun for an awesome art project that also teaches a science lesson. My kids were so excited to see how their sun prints changed after a few hours in the sun! #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

You can make sun prints with just about any objects you have on hand:

  • leaves, rocks, and sticks for some nature sun prints
  • letter pieces from an alphabet puzzle for some letter sun prints
  • pattern blocks for some shape sun prints
  • and the list is really endless. . .

I recommend using heavy objects that won’t blow away. If you use items that may blow away, you will want to lay some plexiglass or another clear layer over your paper to keep the objects on top from moving.

More arts and crafts resources

Popular arts and crafts activities from Gift of Curiosity:

  • Painting with strings
  • Leaf collages
  • Tape resist watercolor painting
  • Crystallized snowflakes
  • Seed medallions
  • Trace the shapes art project
  • Corn husk dolls

Note: For more kid-friendly craft projects, see my Arts and Crafts for Kids page and my Arts and Crafts Pinterest board. 

Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Arts and crafts on Pinterest.

Filed Under: Toddler, Arts and Crafts, Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, Science

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Reader Interactions

2 Comments

  1. Melissa French, The More With Less Mom

    June 5, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    We love doing sun prints! Thanks for posting. Hello from A Little Bird Told Me.

    Reply to this comment
  2. Ashley

    June 11, 2015 at 5:34 am

    What fun prints! Featured you on Mom’s Library this week!

    Reply to this comment

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