This simple ant printing craft is a fun way to combine art, nature and a little bit of science. Kids can experiment with printing three round shapes to create the ant’s body, then add their own legs and antennae to bring their little insect to life.
The original activity appears to use a small cut onion or shallot as the stamp, which gives the ant body a brilliant textured, almost swirly effect. But one of the best things about this activity is that you really do not need to use the exact same thing. You can use almost anything round to stamp the ant’s body, making this an easy activity to put together with whatever you already have at home or in the classroom.
This ant craft is perfect for a bug theme, insect unit study, spring activities, summer nature learning or simply as a quick process art activity for kids.
Learning About Ants Through Art
Ants are fascinating little creatures, and most children will have spotted them marching along a pavement, exploring the garden or carrying tiny pieces of food.
This craft gives you a natural opportunity to talk about the different parts of an ant’s body. Unlike us, ants have three main body sections. These are the head, thorax and abdomen. That makes this printing technique perfect because children need to make exactly three round prints to create their ant.
Ants are insects, so they also have six legs. As children finish their picture, encourage them to count carefully and make sure they add three legs on each side. They can also add two antennae to the ant’s head.
Younger children can simply enjoy the stamping and drawing, while older children can label the different parts of their finished ant picture.
What You Need for This Ant Printing Craft
You only need a few simple materials for this easy ant art activity. You will need a sheet of paper or cardstock, black washable paint, something round to use as a stamp and a black marker or pen.
The stamp shown in these pictures is a small onion cut across the middle. The natural layers create the interesting circular pattern inside each print. If you want to try the same method, an adult can cut the onion in half and the child can use the flat cut side for printing.
However, there is no need to buy anything special. You could use a cork, bottle cap, cardboard tube, toy wheel, cotton reel, sponge cut into a circle or any other small round object you have available. Different objects will create different textures, which can make this activity even more interesting.
You could even set out several different stamping tools and let the children experiment before choosing their favourite one for the ant.
How to Make a Printed Ant Picture
This ant craft is wonderfully simple and gives children plenty of room to make the finished picture their own.
Ant Stamping Picture
Use a simple round stamp to create this fun ant printing craft for kids, then add six legs and two antennae to bring your little insect to life!
Materials
- Something to stamp with
- Black paint
- Black marker
- Optional - Printable
Tools
- Printer if using the printable
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare Your Paint and Stamp
Pour a small amount of black washable paint onto a plate or shallow tray. Choose the object you are going to use for printing.
If you are using a small onion or shallot, ask an adult to cut it across the middle to create a flat circular printing surface. - Step 2: Print the Ant’s Body
Dip the flat end of your chosen stamping object lightly into the black paint. You do not need too much paint, especially if you want some of the texture and patterns from the stamp to show through.
Press it firmly onto the paper and lift it straight up.
Make three prints next to one another. These three circles will become the ant’s head, thorax and abdomen.
Children might want to practise their printing technique on scrap paper first. Some may prefer neat, clear circles while others will enjoy the rough and textured effect created by uneven amounts of paint. - Step 3: Let the Paint Dry
Give the three printed circles a little time to dry before adding the details. This will help stop the black paint from smudging across the page.
While you wait, this is a great time to talk about why the ant has three different body sections. - Step 4: Add Six Legs
Use a black marker or pen to draw six legs coming from the ant’s body.
Remember that ants are insects, and all insects have six legs. Children can count them as they draw, adding three legs on each side.
The legs can be straight, bent, wiggly or completely silly. There is no need for every ant to look exactly the same. - Step 5: Draw the Antennae
Add two antennae to the ant’s head. Ants use their antennae to explore the world around them. They can use them to touch, smell and communicate.
Children can also add eyes, a smile or any other details they like. They could draw a whole ant colony, add a picnic scene or create leaves, grass and an anthill around their printed ant.
Free Printable Ant Printing Activity
To make this activity even easier, we have created a free printable ant worksheet to use alongside the craft. Kids can stamp the three parts of their ant’s body, add the legs and antennae, then write down some of the interesting ant facts they have learned. The page also includes simple step-by-step instructions and a few quick facts, making it perfect for an ant theme, bug unit study or hands-on science and art lesson.
The sheet is below, you can just right click, save and print the image file. Since its just one page we didn’t make it into a PDF this time
Fun Ant Facts for Kids
Did you know that ants live together in large groups called colonies? Some ant colonies contain thousands or even millions of ants.
Ants are incredibly strong for their tiny size. Depending on the species, an ant can carry many times its own body weight. Imagine being able to pick up something much heavier than your whole body!
Ants also communicate with each other using chemicals called pheromones. They leave scent trails that other ants can follow, which is why you sometimes see ants marching along the same path in a long line.
Most ant colonies have a queen, along with many worker ants. The worker ants collect food, care for the young and help look after the nest.
Another interesting fact is that ants can be found almost everywhere in the world. They are incredibly successful insects and play an important role in nature.
Turn It Into an Ant Theme Activity
There are so many ways to extend this simple craft into a bigger ant theme for kids. After making the printed ant, you could head outside for an ant hunt and see if you can spot any ants carrying food or following a trail.
Children could draw an underground ant colony, make a fingerprint ant trail across a page or practise counting by printing different numbers of ants.
You could also ask children to compare ants with other insects. Do they all have six legs? How many body parts can they see? Do they have wings, antennae or different markings?
For a simple writing activity, ask children to imagine they have shrunk down to the size of an ant. Where would they go? What would an ordinary garden look like from an ant’s point of view?
Experiment With Different Printing Materials
Part of the fun of process art is discovering what happens when you try something new. You do not have to stick to a small onion or the same printing tool shown here.
Look around your home, craft cupboard or recycling box for objects with interesting shapes and textures. Dip them into washable paint and test them on scrap paper. Which one makes the clearest circle? Which one creates the most interesting pattern?
This turns a simple ant craft into a mini investigation as children compare their prints and discover how different surfaces transfer paint in different ways.
You could even use different sizes of stamps for the ant’s three body sections or try brown, red or orange paint to create different kinds of ants.
More Things to Print with….
- Bubble Wrap Printed Fruit & Veg
- Potato Masher Painting with Kids
- LEGO Printing Pumpkin Faces
- Star and Crescent Printing
A Simple Bug Craft With Plenty of Learning
This easy ant printing activity is quick to set up, fun to make and full of opportunities for learning. Children can explore printing and texture, practise counting to six and learn about the basic anatomy of an insect, all through one simple art activity.
Whether you use a small cut onion, a cork, a bottle cap or something completely different, the three stamped circles make an easy starting point for a very cute little ant.
Add six legs and two antennae, and your tiny printed insect is ready to march across the page!
More Bug Activities
For even more bug activities, check out some more of our crafts and printables…
- How to Draw Bugs Printables
- Life Cycle of a Ladybug Worksheet Pack
- Butterfly Life Cycle Sensory Bin
- Free Printable Bugs I-SPY and Count and Graph
