Recommended Age: 2 and ½ years and onwards
Level of Parent Involvement: Medium, this activity requires adult assistance for younger children, low for older children once they have been shown
Prerequisites
- None
Materials
- Black, yellow and red washable paint
- 3 paint pots
- 3 paintbrushes
- Paper
Preparation
- Put a small amount of black, yellow and red paint into each of the 3 paint pots
Steps
- Invite the child explaining that you are going to look at the indigenous flag together
- Using your phone or an I pad show the child an image of the indigenous flag
- Ask the child if they have ever seen the flag before
- Point out the different colours of the flag to the child asking them to identify them
- Explain to the child that “this is the indigenous flag and the indigenous people were the first people who lived in Australia”
- Let the child know what the colours of the indigenous flag represent: black represents the colour of the indigenous peoples skin, the yellow represents the sun and the red represents the colour of the dirt in some parts of Australia where indigenous people live
- Ask the child if they would like to make a handprint in the colours of the indigenous flag
- Begin by painting the child’s fingers black, then using the yellow paint, paint a yellow circle in the child’s palm, then paint the bottom of the child’s palm with the red paint
- Guide the child’s hand over the piece of paper and ask them to press down to make a print
- Lift the child hand revealing the print
- Assist the child to wash their hand
- Show the child where to put their painting to dry
- For younger children ask if they would like to make another hand print, older children may paint their own hand
