Materials List:
– Balloons
– Red paint
– Heart cut out of cardstock

Preschool Learning Objectives:
1. Develop fine motor skills by holding and dipping the balloon in paint.
2. Explore cause and effect by creating prints with the paint-covered balloon.
3. Encourage creativity by experimenting with different ways to make prints using the balloon.

Teacher Instructions:
1. Set up the activity by placing the balloons, red paint, and heart cutouts on a table or art area.
2. Demonstrate to the students how to dip the balloon in the paint and make prints on a piece of paper using the heart cutout as a guide.
3. Encourage the preschoolers to explore different ways of making prints with the balloons, such as stamping, rolling, or bouncing the balloon on the paper.
4. Provide guidance and support as needed, while allowing the children to freely explore and create their own artwork.
5. Allow the artwork to dry before displaying or taking home.

Teacher Tips for Differentiated Instruction:
– Offer different sizes of balloons for children with varying fine motor skills.
– Provide additional shapes of cutouts for children to experiment with different designs.
– Encourage children to mix colors by dipping the balloon in multiple paint colors.

Assessment:
– Observe the children’s engagement and creativity during the activity.
– Note if children are able to follow directions and independently engage in the process of balloon painting.
– Assess fine motor skills development by observing how the children hold and manipulate the balloon to make prints.