Finger paint activities: Finger Painting Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers

• Color recognition
• Texture exploration
• Experimentation with mixing paint to stimulate vision and touch

• Color naming
• Texture description
• Vocabulary around the subject of the painting, e. g., pretty flowers, bright rainbow
• Vocabulary around themes, e.g., winter time, birthdays

• Using one finger at a time to create an image
• Learning to draw lines
• Dipping fingers in different colors
• Learning to create and repeat a pattern

• Sitting up and leaning forward
• Reaching for paints and paper
• Sitting up at a table
• Kneeling on the ground if you’re painting on the floor
• Practice hand-eye coordination

• Expressing ideas
• Experimenting with color, shape, and pattern

• Sense of accomplishment
• Seeing their picture on the fridge or giving it as a gift gives children a sense of pride

Technique “Drawing with a finger”

Psychodiagnostics of a psychologist at school –

Projective Personality Research Tests

Author: Ruth F. Shaw

Projective method of personality research. Described by Ruth F. Show in 1932. The technique of finger painting was born in Rome to overcome the specific problems that arose in her school. This school was a place where children of different nationalities, speaking different languages, met, and finger painting was supposed to be a method of self-expression that would suit everyone and not depend on verbalization.
Ms. Shaw drew the attention of psychologists to her new educational method when she noticed that it helped her young students get rid of depression, overcome fears and strengthen their self-confidence.

Later developed by P. Napoli (1946.1951) and others as a personal technique.
The subject is offered a wet sheet of paper and a set of paints. The drawing is done with a finger, which is dipped in paint.
The basic assertion on which the method is based is that finger painting is a form of expressive behavior that can be analyzed to reveal significant personality traits. In this respect, finger painting echoes other forms of artistic expression that allow maximum expressive behavior and require minimum adaptation.
According to authors and psychologists who have significant experience in the practical application of this technique (Spring, Moss, Lyle, Rosenzweig, Darbin, etc.), the subject gives out the most significant associations in the process of drawing, when visual activity leads him to the greatest emotional intensity. At this time, his associations are more sincere manifestations of personality than received at any other time. In some cases, the subject is asked to talk about what happened after the completion of the drawing. It is also recommended to compile a series of such “pictures” created by the same person over a relatively long period.
It is believed that due to the weak structure of the test situation, the most favorable conditions for self-expression are created. This brings the test closer to the free association method. To take full advantage of this method and process analysis, the experimenter must be present throughout the test and record how and what colors the subject chooses, how he uses space, how he moves, as well as spontaneous statements and approaches to work.

General approaches to interpretation are based on the following main indicators:
1. Observation of general behavior.
2. Distribution of time.
3. Use of space and location.
4. Colour.
5. Chiaroscuro.
6. Strokes.
7. Contents.
8. Movements and gestures.
9. Rhythm.
There is an interpretation scheme, where each of these indicators is disclosed in sufficient detail and justified taking into account the available diagnostic experience.

Advantages of this technique:
1. Freedom from movement restrictions. Finger painting requires minimal participation of the group of muscles that are responsible for fine motor skills, therefore, in this respect, it is an excellent means of self-expression for both those who do not experience difficulties of this kind, and for people with physical disabilities. Handicapped people will discover in finger painting a great source of self-expression that compensates for their limitations. Finger painting is very effective in cases of blindness, deafness, spastic manifestations.
2. Freedom from cultural influences. Finger painting attracts a minimum of cultural or learned values, so reactions are not influenced by standard patterns. Like handwriting, finger painting cannot be attributed to any style. The subject cannot
, depending on his previous experience, consider the drawings good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, right or wrong.
Perhaps most significant is the fact that finger painting is a means of self-expression that is relatively unaffected by language, which often acts as a strong emotional deterrent.
3. Freedom from social pressure. Social pressure can be defined as a personal aspect of culture that violates the freedom of expression of an individual. And finger painting is a socially sanctioned “mud game” that allows the individual to bring out his aggressive impulses. It leads to the satisfaction of destructive drives, while at the same time not being destructive, and allows the subject to ignore social prohibitions and taboos without fear of retribution. When drawing with fingers, the situation is playful in nature and the fear that the subject can find in himself is minimized.
4. Process and sequential analysis. Perhaps the greatest advantage of the finger-painting method is that the tester has the opportunity to observe the process of the subject reaching the final product (process analysis). It should be clearly distinguished from sequential analysis. There are also observations associated with changes
from drawing to drawing, when several completed drawings appear during one or several sessions (sequential analysis). It can be used for validation purposes. It can also be used to determine the extent to which a subject’s symptoms have changed at various stages of diagnosis or therapy.
5. No problem of equivalent shapes. Another advantage of the technique is that
there is no problem of equivalent shapes when redrawing. Each time the drawing situation is a new exciting adventure for the subject, and each drawing represents a new point in testing.
6. Multivariance of the targeted use of the methodology. The technique can be carried out both for individual and group examinations. It is also suitable as an effective means of psychotherapeutic influence on a person.
Many researchers talk about various forms of using this method. Shaw and Lyle note that it allows you to achieve the manifestation of fantasy in children.
Moss talks about its use to stimulate free association, Spring points out its value in dealing with anal impulses. Rosenzweig and Durbin developed the diagnostic aspect of this technique, they tried to find out how the personality characteristics of psychotic patients are expressed in a hospital for the mentally ill. Fleming, working with adult neurotics, tried to correlate their behavior, expressed during drawing, with their personal characteristics. Napoli conducted a comparative study of a number of diagnoses and accompanied it with a detailed report on the significance of various indicators of the figure for interpretation. In his earlier publication, Napoli outlined in such drawings the criteria that can be diagnosed as paranoid and schizophrenic features. Ertow and Cadis explored the role of the finger painting method in integrated psychotherapy programs.
Thus, the method of drawing with fingers is gaining increasing acceptance, but it is not as thoroughly studied as most other projective techniques. However, it is already clear that finger painting can provide adequate indicators for determining the basic characteristics of an individual.

Features of the testing procedure.
Required equipment.
1. Paper: The standard sheet is a large 22 x 16 inch (56 x 41 cm) rectangular paper sheet with a glossy surface for drawing and a matte back that records the date of the event, personal details and other pertinent information. Smaller paper is also fine, but larger sheets give the subject more room to express themselves. All the time of the sessions, the once selected size should be adhered to: it is important that the subject works on the same sheets. This will provide greater uniformity of appearances.
2 Colors: Subject is presented with six primary colors: blue, black, red, brown, green, and yellow. The paints are in jars and have a firm, paste-like consistency, requiring the subject to make an effort to start painting. After the necessary manipulations with paints and water (an emotionally stimulating process), a homogeneous working mass is obtained. The paints are harmless if swallowed and are easy to clean from any surface.
3. Place for drawing: The height of the table should suit the needs of the individual. Conveniently, when the level of the tabletop is just below the subject’s elbow in a standing position. There must be enough free space near the table for the subject to walk around it while working. The surface of the table should be free of cracks and preferably made of materials such as linoleum or plate glass. The dimensions of the surface must be larger than the dimensions of the sheet intended for work.
4. Containers: Standard equipment includes a large container about 17 inches (43 cm) long for wetting paper, a smaller container for spraying and dampening, and a bucket for cleaning. All of these are desirable, but not required. It is enough if there is a sink and a suitable size table with free space around it.
Test Administration: There are differing opinions as to how the subject should be introduced to finger painting materials. The merits of each method vary depending on the goals of the experimenter. The most acceptable procedure, based on practical experience, is the following. Before the subject enters the room, the containers must be filled with water, the paints uncovered, and the sheet placed on the table. The subject is instructed, “There are six primary colors here, which can be used in any combination to produce any effect. We don’t use brushes because we have ten fingers. Five on one hand and five on the other. It is much more than one brush. Do whatever you want to do and tell me when you’re done. ”
If the subject already has experience with this kind of drawing, it is sufficient to say, “Let’s do another drawing.” If the subject asks for further, more specific instructions, they are reassured that they can draw whatever they want in the way they want. There are no time limits given. On average, work takes fifteen to twenty minutes, in extreme cases – from ten minutes to one hour. The amount of time spent varies greatly depending on the age of the subject. After the drawing is finished, the subject is asked to come up with a title and asked if the subject can somehow relate his drawing to his own life. Children are asked to come up with a story related to the drawing.
Key points of interpretation (diagnostic basis)
Many of the generalizations presented below are based on clinical experience and analysis of 700 drawings. They are proposed as experimental hypotheses and, of course, require further verification.
General behavior observation. Clinicians generally agree that certain aspects of an individual’s behavior in a clinical or test situation are of great diagnostic value. The situation of finger painting is in many ways similar to a game situation and provides a unique opportunity to obtain behavioral data that can be interpreted.
The subject’s behavior before and during drawing includes the subject’s posture, speed of movement, breathing rate, and spontaneous utterances. Unique factors that are unique to the finger painting method are the reaction to moisture and the tactile sensation of soiling.
It is possible to determine the meaning of each individual aspect of behavior, but together all behavioral responses form a holistic picture, from which one can usually judge the general attitude or mood of the subject. For convenience, the attitudes and moods identified from the behavioral characteristics can be summarized under the concepts of “distance” and “involvement”.

In a situation of finger painting, the subject may show two different tendencies:
1. “Distance”, which shows the individual’s desire to separate himself from the task;
2. “Involvement”, indicating the intention to fully participate in the process.
The subject simultaneously has both tendencies, their strength varies and one of them dominates.
Distance. Often the first reaction of an individual in a situation of finger painting suggests dominance
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“distant” trend. Such behavior can be classified as follows:
a) Spatial-physical. It is expressed in the manner of the individual approaching the table and paints. The subject may try to stay as far away from them as possible. Or he can keep one hand behind his back, submerging only one finger in the paint or water, or extending his hand as far away from himself as possible, using the finger as a pencil or tool, as if
is not part of himself. In extreme cases, a combination of all these behavioral manifestations can be observed.
b) Verbal. A distant position can also be expressed in the verbal behavior of the subject. He may show signs of confusion. He may try to avoid independent action and shift the responsibility to the experimenter. He can ask questions like: “How can I do this?”, “What will I draw?”, “Who made these paints?”. All these requests are aimed at ensuring that the subject can remain out of the situation.
c) Nonverbal. A “distant” tendency can be expressed in erratic hand movements, quick switching of attention, awkwardness in movements. It can also manifest itself in attempts to manipulate or engage in carefully planned, stereotypical behavior, such as persistent drawing of geometric shapes.
It may seem that distancing tendencies contradict the previously stated assertion that finger painting promotes spontaneous participation and that examples of rejection of this method are rare. In fact, the tendency to distance behavior begins to decrease from the moment the subject has somehow entered the drawing situation, and the situation is so emotionally charged that it is capable of breaking down any degree of distance.
A distant tendency may have different underlying motivations. It can be infantile negativism, hostility, caution or dissatisfaction. Caution is best seen in anticipating a reaction to moisture and dirt. This is exactly the case when the distance can be quickly overcome. After contact with dampness and “dirt”, the subject may experience a strong sense of satisfaction and then move on to pronounced “engaged” behavior.
Involvement. In contrast to individuals with distant behavior, there are subjects who are ready to immediately immerse themselves in the whole drawing situation. This behavior represents an engaged trend. In the process of drawing, the subject can use not only the fingers, but also the movements of the whole body.
Delight or anger will be expressed in his facial gestures, palms, shoulders and back will join the rhythmic movements. The subject may cover their body with paint, children especially like to smear it on the abdomen. Some subjects enjoy prolonged hand washing in water.
Behavior showing the dominance of the “involved” tendency is best described by the words “immersion in work. ”
The motivation underlying the involved behavior can again be different. It can be represented by a desire for pleasure or satisfaction, in particular from contact with water and “mud”, or it can be aggression and hostility.
Some degree of involvement is already present from the moment when the individual enters the situation of finger painting at all. Process analysis often reveals changes in the behavior of the subject in the direction of increasing the degree of involvement.

Diagnostic features of the process of drawing with fingers
1. Time distribution:
The time spent can be divided into three significant elements:
product of each individual product and all drawings.
Duration of the first reaction. It can also serve as an indicator of the relative mass of “involved” or “distant” tendencies. Some subjects immediately begin the task, others become confused, hesitate, doubt. A particularly long reaction time may be indicative of premature alarms associated with reactions to moisture and dirt.
Pauses while drawing. They may be associated with unexpected emotional effects due to color combinations or the size of the pattern, causing fear or anxiety. Faced with a new color combination, which, one way or another, becomes significant for him, the subject can verbally or mimic express his horror or disgust. For example, “Oh, that looks terrible! Can I throw this away?”, “Can I wash it off?”, “How can I make it lighter?”, “I hate this color!”. The subject may even tear and discard the leaf in rage.
Total time: The total drawing time reflects the extent to which the subject allows himself to be involved in the process.
Some subjects are unable to separate themselves from the situation of drawing, either because they get relief through it, or because of the desire for perfection. Some may keep drawing until the paper begins to tear. Others move away from the situation as soon as possible because the situation can make them feel anxious.
2. Use of space and location:
When drawing with fingers, most individuals limit themselves to paper and tend to take up most of the sheet. For this reason, deviations in the use of paper become significant to interpretation. There are usually two main types of deviations. They can be defined as “expansion” and “restriction”.
Expansion: Some individuals go beyond the paper and draw on the surface of the table. A person with this behavior may sometimes express his expansiveness in a different way. Although he will adhere to the boundaries of paper in his work, the organization of his drawing will imply expansion. For example, it can be a thick line drawn through the entire sheet, without beginning or end. Such expansiveness when drawing with fingers may indicate relatively emotional uncontrolled reactions.
Note that children who fall under the definition of expansive when drawing with fingers suffer from intemperance or over-aggression. This observation is often observed in delinquents. This seems to correlate with their lack of respect for authority and their insatiable craving for impulsive pleasure.
Limitation: This subject category uses a very small portion of the sheet. The interpretation is the same as when drawing.
The subject who refuses to use his space provides evidence of his restraint and isolation, especially when the drawing is located at the very corners of the sheet or, as it were, suspended in space. In such cases, it is assumed that this reaction is associated with anxiety.
Use of space in process analysis. When the use of space is considered through process analysis, there is an excellent opportunity to observe the process of forming a picture.
The subject may start by drawing individual elements along the edges of the sheet, and then fill in the remaining space with details to complete the picture. Thus, those individuals act who feel a strong need for logical action or security. For this purpose, the subject can also first provide a sheet with a wide black border, and only then allow himself to build his patterns.
Conversely, the subject may start with a central drawing, which will be the core of the whole picture, and continue working, adding elements of the drawing, until it covers the entire sheet. For example, he can draw a small house in the center of the sheet, and then add a road, a tree, the sun in the background to it. Thus, when drawing with fingers, it is possible to observe the development of the concept of the picture, because the thought process is embodied in motor activity.
3. Color:
Color meanings are similar in many projective techniques. Colors are a direct expression of our effects and emotions. The subject can use color strictly within the drawing, that is, without going beyond the boundaries of a separate object. Or the color solution can be done in a diffuse manner without hard boundaries, as when painting a flame or a shining sun, while giving spontaneous expression to emotional impulses.
But in the technique of finger painting, the choice of colors is given an increased emotional significance. The subject has the ability to choose shades and combine them in a way that will elicit the maximum emotional response. The choice of color may be made randomly or unconsciously, but once seeing that color on a sheet, the subject may give out an emotional response; which in turn will stimulate the appearance of new color effects.
4. Chiaroscuro:
When painting with your fingers, it is better to separate the chiaroscuro effects that come from surface texture and those that come from the idea of ​​depth or three-dimensionality.
The effect of surface texture can be correlated with Rorschach type C responses, they are usually obtained due to patting and hitting movements and are indicators of strong feelings. The dominant channel of perception in this case is tactile. And the image of depth (K factor according to Rorschach) is the result of the formation of the concept of the picture, and not tactile stimulation. Typical images of this kind are spiral elements.
5. Strokes:
“strokes” refers to the final products of movement on the surface of the drawing. The value of strokes when drawing with fingers is close to the value of lines when drawing with pencils. In finger painting, strokes are a more direct expression of the subject’s internal dynamics, because they are a direct extension of body movements, and there is no intermediary tool to slow down the moment of expression.
When interpreting strokes, attention should be focused on recurring features and not on any isolated examples. Moreover, strokes can only be understood through their general configuration. The value of a stroke is determined by its relationship to other strokes. In the most general interpretative meaning, we can say that the nature of the strokes is determined by the degree of emotional control. Roughly, the following stroke attributes can be distinguished into four main categories:
1. Direction of strokes. The main direction of strokes can be vertical or horizontal. The first can start from the bottom or top, and the second from the right or left edge. The side from which the strokes begin depends on the right-handedness or left-handedness of the subject, and this must also be taken into account. Elshuler and Hettntik identified the vertical direction as a manifestation of obsessive drives, and the horizontal ones as tendencies to self-protection, exposure to fear, open cooperation.
Some drawings of young children or people with mental disorders do not show
stroke organization in any direction, they are disordered and unsystematic. However, as one grows emotionally in therapy or as one achieves greater psychological maturity, the disorganized mess often turns into a cohesive structure.
Process analysis can sometimes show a tendency to “straighten out” in a single drawing, where the subject began to stroke in one direction after a short period of erratic daubing.
2. Width, pressure and multiplicity of strokes. Strokes can be narrow and weak when drawn with the fingertips, or wide and bold when drawn with the hand, palm, or elbow. The subject can vary the degree of pressure, and in extreme cases this results in the fact that all previously applied paints are displaced, leaving a white line on the surface of the paper. And, finally, a stroke can be single, that is, made with one finger, or consist of double or triple Parallel strokes according to the number of fingers involved.
The degree of pressure indicates the energy level of the subject. Strong pressure indicates that a person is full of strength, or about the existing tension.
Light strokes may indicate shyness or exposure to fear.
Multiple swabs is an indicator of engagement. If the individual is limited to a single smear, this symbolizes a lower degree of involvement than when using a triple parallel swab.
3. Shape and length of strokes. Strokes can be angular or rounded, solid or intermittent, closed or open. A tendency towards angularity represents an aggressive behavioral pattern, and if the angular strokes are arranged in a zigzag pattern, this may indicate the individual’s hesitation about his aggressive behavior. Long strokes indicate controlled behavior, while short strokes characterize impulsive behavior. Intermittent smears can be an indicator of anxiety, a feeling of insecurity.
“Closed” refers to whether the stroke represents a closed figure on its own, such as a circle or figure eight. An example of an open figure is the crescent shape. Closed means the closed factor. The degree of openness indicates the degree of desire to communicate with the world.
4. Texture of strokes. Another characteristic feature of the finger painting technique is the possibility of obtaining two types of strokes. A smear can be drawn in an already applied paint or a new layer can be applied to it. The latter, producing the effect of relief, is often the result of “color excitation” and, as already noted, reflects some disinhibition. The value of the traced strokes is close to scratching and other aggressive actions.
Another aspect in distinguishing strokes concerns the main pattern and the background (foreground and background). The relationship between the background and foreground strokes is important, although it has not yet been determined exactly. The subject may try to draw completely contrasting figures or try to gradually blend them into the background. The strokes in the background can create an emotional background around the main drawing, or the main drawing can be created as a reaction to the background. For example, a subject who was initially afraid to show his aggressive drives may cover the entire sheet in softly shaped strokes. And only then will he dare to draw the central figure that reveals these impulses. In another case, the subject may be seriously concerned about the “nakedness” of the central figure and balance it with bold, energetic brushstrokes in the background.
Obviously, the combinations and configurations of strokes are endless. The vertical line can be drawn away from you or towards you; it can be straight or winding; angular or rounded; made by strong or weak pressure; may be isolated or surrounded by other lines.
6. Contents.
The content of the drawing includes:
1. An image visible to the observer, that is, objects, figures and abstract images depicted by him on the sheet;
2. Statements he made during or after drawing. Zero content can be called when the subject is engaged in aimless daubing and is unable to give any verbal reactions to it.
Age and other factors affecting the content of a drawing:
Age is a very important factor when considering the content of a drawing. Just daubing will be absolutely normal for a three-year-old child whose expressiveness is focused on motor ability. In elementary school children are dominated by contour images of fruits, houses, trees. These stereotypical drawings usually break down quickly, often during a single session, and more dynamic images emerge thereafter. As with color, normal students show a decrease in disintegrated conformity of content over the course of work.
Finger painting material provokes the creation of products of a special kind. For example, landscapes are very often painted, while there is a noticeable reluctance to depict human figures. The most common content is various variations of landscape themes. Due to the fact that images of a person are relatively rare, it is difficult to give the human figure any special meaning for interpretation.
Organization of content:
Organization of content is a significant diagnostic criterion. Napoli found that content structure was important in distinguishing between paranoids and schizophrenics. In the second group, Napoli notes, there are two completely unrelated, independent layers or levels in the image. The work is accompanied by verbal statements that have no external relation to the drawing. Hartow and Caydis point out, as will be detailed later, that the relationship between image content and verbal expressions is an important indicator of ego development in children.