How it Plays
Choose relatively large potatoes so they are easy to hold. Wash and dry them, but don't bother peeling them. Cut each one in half. Put several colors of tempera paint in separate bowls.

Ask your child what kinds of shapes she'd like to decorate her packages with. Seasonal shapes that are easy to create include stars, candles, bells, crescent moons, hearts—you might even try a dreidel, the distinctive top used as a symbol for Hanukkah. Use the point of a paring knife to sketch your child's chosen design on the flat, cut surface of a potato half. Then cut away about half an inch of the potato around your design so the design is a raised flat surface.

Now all your child has to do is dip the carved end of the potato in some paint and press it onto a large piece of paper.
Even babies can help if you hold their hands while they press. Another fun thing to do with babies is use their hands and feet to make prints.

What You'll Need

Learning and Growing
Making something to share is a great way to boost your child's self-esteem; she'll be very proud when Grandma opens a gift wrapped in paper she made herself. It's also an empowering experience for her to choose her own shapes and have you carve them for her.