- Definition
Softoleum is a soft, grey, rubbery material that's easy and safe for kids to cut into shapes, which they can then use to make prints.
A student carves a design of a leaf into a block of softoleum, rolls ink over the raised surface, and presses it onto paper to make a print.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Softoleum is like a giant, flat eraser that you can carve a picture into to make a stamp.
Ask your child: If you carved your initial into this, what would the stamped letter look like?
Common mix-up: Kids might think you just draw on softoleum like paper. The key is that you carve away the parts you don't want to print, leaving your design raised up.
Examples
- Carving away the background of a picture on a softoleum block so that only the main image gets inked.
- Using a special cutting tool to carefully remove small pieces of softoleum to create fine details in a design.
softoleum is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
