How to Make a Cloud Picture

: Image by Swerz via Flickr

A cloud picture is the perfect activity for a warm summer day! Most children love to get their hands dirty while making crafts. They love the feel of finger paints oozing between their fingers and really don’t mind having glitter all over them. Some even think it’s fun!

Because this craft can get just a little (or a lot) messy, you might want to make this an outdoor craft project at the picnic table or even on a large bedsheet on the grass. (use a sheet you don’t mind getting dirty!) We’ve also used flattened out large cardboard boxes as seats and tables in the grass for easy clean up.

Encourage your children to spend some time watching the clouds pass by before beginning the craft. They’ll be able to see the various shapes, sizes, and colors of clouds. This will also give them ideas of what they can make their cloud pictures look like. If you have more than one child, it’s unlikely their pictures will look the same although they may be similar.

Your child can use any number of mediums to create their cloud pictures. You might want to have on hand shaving cream, finger paints, food coloring, cotton balls, paper towels, and glue – or all of the above! You’ll also want to have plenty of finger paint paper available because it’s unlikely your child will want to stop with just one cloud picture! If you have sky blue paper, it might make the process easier, and they’ll be pleased with the results.

Here are some ideas for cloud pictures:

* Cotton Ball Clouds – You can draw a pattern of a cloud for the children to use as a base for their picture, or you can allow them to create their own clouds if their picture is made from cotton balls. If this is the method you’re using, have the children pull the cotton balls apart slightly and then glue the cotton to the paper.

* Paper Towel Clouds – Children will need several white paper towels, glue, and blue construction paper. They can tear the paper towels into pieces and glue them into shapes that they feel look like clouds. Let them use their imagination to create images much like they would see in nature.

* Shaving Cream Clouds – Children love playing with shaving cream and this is one craft that is sure to please. Squeeze a blob of shaving cream onto a piece of paper made for finger painting. Allow them to add a few drops of food coloring to the shaving cream and mix the food coloring in. Let the children use the colored shaving cream to paint clouds. If the food coloring wasn’t completely mixed, the variations can become the shadows of the clouds.

Children, and some adults, all over the world love to watch the clouds pass overhead as they lie on their back in the grass. This is an activity to share with your children to calm them down before making crafts, and will also encourage them as they learn how to make a cloud picture. Be prepared, however – your child may enjoy the craft so much they want to decorate their room with their creations.