This project was such a success that I made it a two day event. We made stamps from sheets of foam and cardboard. Right when I walked into the library the first day of the project there was a boy waiting to see what we were going to be making.

After a very quick explanation he was off and running with it.  Stamp after stamp until we had a whole bunch piled up. for about three hours it was just the two of us making stamps and using them together to make illustrations. He was a force to be reckoned with that day.  Most of the pieces we made stayed at the library up on the wall. But he was very interested in making a special one to take home with him. It was a real pleasure working with him on this project and seeing him discover the possibilities in creating this way.

Around 2 in the afternoon a few more kids showed up and the enthusiasm continued. Stamp after stamp joined the collection. Unfortunately I only had a black stamp pad on the first day because they were all interested in adding some color to their creations.

The second day started much the same as the first with two of the previous participants waiting to continue.  This time I had a red and a green stamp pad to add to the mix.  I do have to admit that the enthusiasm go a bit overwhelming at times when kids began stamping their faces!

And again I came across a girl (14) who had never used a pair of scissors before.  She was very determined to make a stamp like one I had just made.  Despite her many attempts at giving up I continued to encourage her and take her step-by-step through making her stamp.  The stamp I had made was one shape repeated over and over so I had to show her that she did not need to feel overwhelmed because it’s actually just one simple shape–just make a couple of them and then we’d combine them, turning them into a cool stamp.  In the end she was using scissors with more confidence and liked the over-all outcome of what she had created, and set off on a printing tangent!

I have found that it is important to let the kids know that most of these projects are new to me, too, and that we are all learning together about what works and what doesn’t.  And that it is the process of making and seeing what you can achieve that is the most exciting thing.