Foot Play

Question and Wonder:

• I wonder if my feet can do what my hands do?
• How are my toes different from my fingers?
• Why do we walk on our feet and not our hands?
• What would the world look like if we walked on our hands?

Place a large piece of paper or cardboard on a hard floor surface (you can also use a plastic tablecloth to protect the floor from the paint and crayon marks). Challenge your child to put a crayon between their toes and draw. Try the same thing with paint and a paint brush.

After they have drawn a design with their feet, put splotches of paint on the paper and let them walk through it and add to their design.

Imagine and Design:

• Do you think it will be hard to draw with your feet? Why?
• How will you hold the crayon? The brush?
• What kinds of design do you think you can make?
• How do you think the paint will feel on your feet?
• What texture will the crayons make on the paper?

Test and Discuss:

• What happened? Was it as hard as you thought or easier?
• Do you think if you practiced it would get easier? Why?
• Try picking up the crayon or brush with your toes. How did it work?
• What other parts of your body do you think you could paint with?

Did You Know:

The feet are the most nerve-rich parts of the human body, which means they contribute to the building of neurological pathways in the brain. This is a great article on the benefits of going barefoot: https://www.natureplayqld.org.au/the-benefits-of-being-barefoot

Kick off those shoes and try these other barefoot activities:

• Pick up marbles with your toes… and if you are very clever, drop them in a small container.
• Fold a scarf with your toes instead of your fingers.
• Ride your trike, bike or scooter bare footed.
• Go on a barefoot nature walk in your yard or a local park.