How to Set Up an Apple Printing Station

Have you tried your hand at apple printing?

I suppose it’s a traditional Fall craft, but since apples find a way into our pantry year-round, I thought this was a fun project to share in these weeks leading up to Summer. You know, when you might need something fun to keep the kids entertained during the long summer days.

Apple Prints are an old stand-bye that my children always enjoy. The other day, 4-year old N asked me for some paint and apples so that she could make envelopes for all of her teachers. She had another plan for filling the envelopes that involved a sprinkling of sequins and some hand-made drawings. My two-year old is always game for printing, and in a matter of minutes apple printing was in full force!

Ingredients

• Apples, cut in half vertically
• Paper plates — to use as paint palettes
• Washable tempera paint or Biocolors
• Covered Table
• Large pieces of paper
• Clear space to contain the drying prints
• Damp rags for wiping messes and dabbing painty fingers

The Set-up

• If you have a precious work surface, cover it with a cloth or paper. We use brown kraft paper and oil cloth (pictured here).
• Have your child choose a couple colors of paint. I like to limit it to two colors to keep the whole matter simpler. Squeeze the paint onto some paper plates. When you’re done, these can be dropped in the recycling bin.
• Place a big sheet of paper in front of each child.
• Place a damp rag next to each child. My kids always get painty fingers when we do this, and constantly get up to wash hands. The rag saves them the trip until they’re completely done.
• Hand each child one apple, cut into two pieces.
• Invite your child to stamp away!
• Place completed prints in a drying area.

This project is great for little and big hands alike. My two-year old was challenged to press the apples down hard enough to make her prints show up while my four-year old worked on creating color patterns of apple prints.

While I had to do a little bit of maintenance, such as collecting completed prints, while the kids printed, I enjoyed stepping back to allow them to experience the medium and develop independent ideas.

Some people are opposed to using food as a source of art-making because it can send the message that food can be wasted. With so many people going hungry, I understand the argument for this. My children’s nursery school won’t use food for art-making, which is the case with many nursery schools around the world.

However, compared to making prints from rubber stamps which can be derived from felled trees and rubber, apples and other vegetables seem like a decent alternative. In addition, so many of our traditional art-making materials are derived from food and other naturally found products. If you have an opinion on the matter I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Ideas to take this further

• When the prints dry, use a Sharpie permanent maker and add designs to your apple prints
• Print with other vegetables such as okra, celery hearts, and carrots
• Make prints from found objects such as egg cartons or bubble wrap
• Source more ideas from this Pintererst Board that’s dedicated to Apple Crafts
• If your child really enjoys printing, try your hand at Cookie Sheet Monoptints

A Question for you…

What do you think about using food for art-making?