What you'll need:

• Dried corncobs without kernels (After eating the corn, leave the corncobs outside for a few hours in the sun or let them dry on your counter overnight.)
• Tempura paint
• Large plastic or paper plates (One for each color you want to use.)
• Corn holders or nails
• Paper
• Newspaper or other paper to cover your work area

What to do:

1. Cover your work area with newspaper and put out a large piece of paper for the project. (Thick paper will hold up better.)
2. Put the corn holders on the dried corncobs. If you don't have corn holders, then you can use long nails. (If you are using nails, make sure your child does not pull them out and use them inappropriately.)
3. Have a separate corncob for each color. (I would recommend using at least two colors for contrast.)
4. Put paint on the large plastic plates. Use a different plate for each color.
   (Ms. Kohl suggests using a cookie sheet. I find that using paper plates leads to less mess and clean-up time.)
5. Have your child roll the corncob in the paint and then roll the corncob onto the sheet of paper.
6. Repeat the same process with another color.
7. Put the paper on the side to dry.

Related activities:

1. If you have the time, let your child paint a picture with a regular paintbrush. Have her compare the two papers. Discuss how and why they are different.
2. If you do not have the time to have her paint another picture at the same time, you can take a picture she painted previously with a regular paintbrush and compare them.
3. You can use the corncob print as wrapping paper or a background for other projects.

Note: Corncobs can be washed off, dried out and used again.

From Preschool Art: It's the Process Not the Product, copyright 1994, by MaryAnn Kohl. Price $19.95/$3.00 shipping. Available from Gryphon House, Box 207, Beltsville MD 20704-0207, 1-800-638-0928. http://www.ghbooks.com