All credit for this simple symmetry art project for kids goes to six-year-old Emma! She came up with it while playing with glitter glue and napkins left over from her birthday party. She would spread the glue on one half of the napkin, fold it in half (see below), and open it up for a beautiful, mess-free symmetrical image. It’s like a simpler version of our yarn prints! The napkins absorb the glue so that the print dries nearly instantly, and the images created are beautiful! I think the one above looks like a butterfly.
I wish I’d let her play with the paints and napkins a little earlier, so that we could have used this as a craft at her birthday party! We let the kids decorate their goody bags with glitter glue instead, but of course the glue wasn’t dry when it was time to go home, even though we did the craft at the very beginning of the party. This project would have been ready to bring home, and I think the kids would have enjoyed the “magic” of the symmetry.
I think this print looks like two kids sitting on chairs chatting. It’s a bit like finding pictures in the sky, with a symmetry lesson thrown in! And glitter, which makes everything more exciting!
MaryAnne lives is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
Great little lesson on symmetry. I love that Emma was exploring and creating on her own and then you added in some learning – giving a name to what she was doing.
Very good. I have never thought to use glitter to do it before.
Gorgeous! I think kids find symmetry art really fascinating and surprising. Great exploration and fun!
Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
Love it!
My big girls love to create art work out of napkins…so I love that you have used napkins here!
What a lovely discovery for Emma to make. Using napkins is such a neat idea.
Like everyone else who commented… love this project that Emma discovered. And love your interpretation of two kids chatting on chairs. : )
I love when my kids come up with their own ideas. I did a lot of symmetry teachin’ with the little ones when I taught art! Great project ;-)
I love the idea of doing this on napkins so it dries more quickly than on paper. The first one definitely looks like a butterfly. I just love your Emma and her ideas. :) When I read these posts I always think that if this baby is a girl, I hope she is a girl like Emma… so funny how you feel you get to know these children through the blogs of their mamas!
Thank you for such a kind comment!!! Emma is truly a wonderful little girl – as is your son and, I am certain, your new baby will be =)
Fun! Emma is so creative. Abby and I were playing the other day with the white board. I would make 1/2 a picture and then she would draw the mirror image to see what it was. She thought this was cool.
Emma is so very creative!
And I love it!!! :)
Lovely idea,my daughter will be delighted to try this :)
What a great idea, Emma! Such a beautiful piece of art!
Great idea Emma! Love it!!! Pinned it.
Thank you! I LOVE it when my kids come up with cool ideas like this!!!
I love quick and easy crafts like this. Simple and beautiful. I think trying to find hidden shapes in the final product is the best part of all. At first glance I thought the second napkin looked like giant monster feet, and then I read your interpretation. I totally see the two kids chatting. :-)
I can totally see monster feet, too!
Excellent way to let kids explore. And the results are beautiful!
OK I love projects like this, simple to do and using things we all have. I am not artsy at all but this is definitely something I could do and my kids would enjoy.
I love it! Nice work Emma!
It’s like those ink blot tests. I always find those amusing.
That is a cool idea!