We’re excited to share an indoor activity that has delighted our 3.5-year-old daughter: a creative body tracing self-portrait!
A few days ago, with the weather not being ideal for outdoor play, we decided to try a fun and engaging indoor painting activity. The body tracing self-portrait turned out to be a hit, providing hours of entertainment and creativity for our little one – and us!
Supplies Needed for Your Creative Body Tracing Activity for Kids and Toddlers:
- Paint: For a vibrant and safe option, we used Jovi School Tempera Assorted Colors. For toddlers, we recommend Jovi Finger Paint Core Colors Washable Finger Paints — they’re non-toxic, easily washable, and stain-free with a high-viscosity formula to minimize splattering. Older kids might enjoy the Jovi – Gouache Glitter Paint and brushes for added fun.
- Brushes: We used a mix of regular large paint brushes and sponge brushes from the WFPLUS 5 Sizes Round Paint Foam Sponge Brush Set. For toddlers, Crayola My First Jumbo Toddler Paint Brushes are ideal. YallFairy Paint Sponges are also great for both kids and toddlers.
- Paper: A wide paper roll like the Canson XL Series Mix Media Paper Roll is perfect for big projects. Alternatively, you can use regular A4 paper sheets taped together.
- A Cup of Water: For cleaning your brushes between colors.
- Regular Graphite Pen: For outlining the body trace.
How It’s Done:
- Setup: Place the sheet of paper on the ground, on a straight surface. Your toddler or child should be able to lay on it with his hands and feet slightly distant from the body. Then, take the graphite paper and start tracing the contour of your kid’s body. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to come out perfectly. All that matters is having fun together!
- Add Clothing: After tracing the body, let your child draw the outline of their clothes. For younger toddlers, you can draw the clothing outlines yourself; our daughter enjoyed having me do this for her.
- Prepare to Paint: Gather your painting supplies and let your child start painting their self-portrait. Begin with the hair and face, then move to the body. If your child is a toddler, guide them on which shapes and brushes to use. For example, use a round sponge brush for the eyes, a fingerprint for the nose, and a curved line for the mouth. Encourage creativity — show them the colors for their hair, eyes, and mouth, but let them choose their own colors.
- Paint and Explore: Continue painting the clothes and accessories together. Let your child experiment with patterns, brush strokes, and colors. Avoid imposing any strict rules; the goal is to let their creativity flow.
- Hands and Feet: For a fun twist, have your child paint the palms of their hands and add handprints to their portrait. They can also paint the soles of their shoes and use the prints as feet in their artwork.
- Background: Finally, decide on the background. Leave it white, add elements, or paint it a single color. Our daughter used her favorite round sponge brush to fill the background with colorful dots.
Here’s the outcome:
We hope this activity inspired you to create something beautiful with your little ones! We’d love to see your masterpieces — please share your creations with us!
