Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 4
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Creativity
Curriculum Theme: Creativity
Previous Lesson: Drawing simple shapes
Topic: THUMB PRINT
Subject Matter: THUMB PRINT

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

Identify different primary colours (e.g., red, yellow, blue).
Identify their own thumb.

Affective Domain

Show enthusiasm for creating art using their thumbs.
Demonstrate patience while waiting for their turn and for prints to dry.

Psychomotor Domain

Dip their thumb carefully into poster colour.
Make clear thumb prints on paper.
Attempt to mix two primary colours to create a secondary colour.

Share art materials respectfully with classmates.
Take turns using the colours and space for printing.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
Early Childhood Care and Education curriculum guides
Age-appropriate art and craft books for preschoolers

Instructional Materials

Scrapbooks or sheets of white paper
Poster colours (red, yellow, blue, green, etc.)
Small plates or palettes for mixing colours
Wet wipes or a bowl of water and soap for cleaning hands
Aprons or old shirts to protect clothes
Teacher’s own thumb for demonstration
Pictures of objects made with thumb prints (e.g., caterpillars, flowers)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson introduces pupils to a simple and engaging form of art using their own body parts, fostering creativity and self-expression. It helps develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and colour recognition, which are crucial for early literacy and practical life skills at this age.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can already identify some basic colours and know the different parts of their hand, including their fingers.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

THUMB PRINT

Thumb printing is a fun way to make pictures using your thumb dipped in paint. It helps us make different shapes and patterns.

What is a Thumb Print?

A thumb print is a mark made by pressing your thumb, which has been dipped in colour, onto a piece of paper.

Identifying Colours

We use different bright colours for thumb printing. We can use red, yellow, blue, green, and many more!

Red: Like a ripe tomato.
Yellow: Like the sun.
Blue: Like the sky.
Green: Like fresh leaves.

Identifying Your Thumb

Your thumb is the shortest, thickest finger on your hand. It helps you hold things. Let’s all point to our thumbs!

Mixing Colours (Simple)

We can mix two primary colours to make a new colour!

Yellow + Blue = Green (like grass)
Red + Yellow = Orange (like an orange fruit)

How to Make a Thumb Print

Choose a colour you like.
Dip just the tip of your thumb into the colour on the plate. Don’t put too much!
Carefully press your thumb onto the paper.
Lift your thumb gently. You will see a colourful print!
Clean your thumb with a wet wipe or water before using another colour.

Key Words

Thumb – the short, thick finger on your hand.
Print – a mark left on a surface.
Colour – what we use to make things bright and beautiful.
Mix – to put two or more things together.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

Display different poster colours (red, yellow, blue).
Point to and name the teacher’s own thumb.
Demonstrate dipping a thumb into paint.
Demonstrate pressing the thumb onto paper to make a print.
Demonstrate mixing yellow and blue paint to show green.
Show examples of simple thumb print art (e.g., a caterpillar made of green thumb prints).

Thumb Print Fun Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Thumb, thumb, happy thumb,
Dip you in the paint, yum, yum!
Red and yellow, blue so bright,
Make a print with all your might!
Thumb, thumb, happy thumb,
Art we make, oh what fun!

Actions: Pupils point to their thumb, pretend to dip it, make pressing motions, and show happy faces.

How to use the rhyme: Sing this song as pupils are getting ready to print or while they are working, to keep them engaged and reinforce the lesson’s theme.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video to see more ideas for making amazing pictures with our thumb prints!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYJq34e_s_k

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Demonstration, Guided Practice, Play-based Learning, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Manipulation of Objects, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and leads them in a short song about colours. The teacher asks pupils to name some colours they know.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and name familiar colours.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and recall prior knowledge of colours.

Step 2: Identifying Colours and Thumbs

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Identification/Observation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays different poster colours (red, yellow, blue) and asks pupils to identify them. The teacher then asks pupils to show their thumbs and names it clearly, explaining its use.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils point to and name the colours. They point to their own thumbs and repeat the word “thumb”.

Learning Point: Pupils can identify primary colours and their own thumb.

Step 3: Introducing Thumb Printing

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Concept Introduction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the idea of making art with their thumbs. The teacher shows simple pictures or examples of thumb print art (e.g., a caterpillar, a flower). The teacher sings the “Thumb Print Fun Song”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the examples, listen to the explanation, and sing along with actions.

Learning Point: Pupils understand what thumb printing is and get excited about the activity.

Step 4: Demonstration of Colour Mixing and Printing

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to mix two colours (e.g., yellow and blue to make green) on a palette. Then, the teacher shows how to dip the thumb carefully into one colour and press it onto a piece of paper to make a print. The teacher emphasizes not using too much paint and cleaning the thumb.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch carefully as the teacher demonstrates colour mixing and the thumb printing process.

Learning Point: Pupils observe the correct procedure for colour mixing and making a thumb print.

Step 5: Guided Practice – Setting Up and First Prints

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Facilitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes scrapbooks/paper, palettes with small amounts of poster colours, and wet wipes. The teacher guides pupils to choose a colour, dip their thumb, and make their first few prints. The teacher encourages simple colour mixing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils collect their materials, choose colours, dip their thumbs, and start making prints on their paper, attempting simple colour mixing.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to apply the demonstrated technique and explore colours.

Step 6: Continued Creation and Exploration

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Supervision/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher moves around the classroom, offering individual assistance, praising efforts, and suggesting ideas for what pupils can make with their prints (e.g., a line of prints for a caterpillar, scattered prints for flowers). The teacher reminds them to clean their thumbs between colours.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils continue making thumb prints, experimenting with different colours and patterns, and cleaning their thumbs as needed.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and creative expression through continued practice.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

“Point to your thumb.”
“What colour is this?” (holding up a primary colour)
“Show me a thumb print you made.”
“What two colours did you mix to make green?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Recap/Closure

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their beautiful thumb print art and their good work. The teacher reminds them to always clean up after art activities. The teacher leads a tidy-up song.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils show their artwork, participate in the tidy-up, and clean their hands.

Learning Point: Pupils feel a sense of accomplishment and learn the importance of tidiness.

Lesson Keywords

Thumb – The short, thick finger on your hand.
Print – A mark made by pressing something onto a surface.
Colour – The different shades of light that we see, like red or blue.
Mix – To put two or more things together to make something new.
Art – Making beautiful or interesting things, like drawing or painting.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who struggle, the teacher can provide hand-over-hand guidance for dipping their thumb and making a print. Use only one or two colours initially. Provide larger palettes for easier dipping.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concept, the teacher can encourage them to create specific objects or scenes using multiple thumb prints (e.g., a flower with a stem, a caterpillar, a bird). They can also be challenged to mix more colours or create patterns.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have all materials ready: poster colours poured into small, shallow plates or palettes, scrapbooks/paper, and plenty of wet wipes or a basin of water and soap nearby for easy cleanup. It’s advisable for pupils to wear old shirts or aprons to protect their clothes. Emphasize dipping only the tip of the thumb, not the whole finger, to avoid excessive mess. Encourage exploration but also guide them on cleaning their thumb between different colours to keep the colours vibrant. Observe pupils’ fine motor control and ability to follow instructions. Praise effort and creativity. The main idea children must understand is that their own thumb can be a tool for making unique and colourful art.