Whether your kids are natural-born artists or beginners, we've got tons of unique painting projects to get their hands messy and their creativity flowing. From brushes to fingers and cotton swabs to bubbles, after trying some of these painting ideas your kids will think you're Picasso!
1. Acrylic Paint Pouring
This activity is a fun and easy way to use unique color combinations to create abstract paintings in a short amount of time and with no brush strokes required! For this fun painting activity, you'll need some acrylic or tempera paints, a small clear cup, and a canvas or piece of paper. Watch the tutorial here to see how to mix and pour the colors to help your kids create beautiful works of art!
Learn more: ssww.com
2. Ice Painting
This painting project is one of our coolest painting ideas, perfect for a hot summer day. Grab an ice cube tray, mix some washable paint with water, and put it in the freezer until solid. Pop the ice cubes out and give them to your kids to paint on paper, outside, or even paint themselves! Don't worry, it will wash off.
Learn more: growingajeweledrose.com
3. Pendulum of Paint
Time to make a colorful mess with a DIY paint pendulum made using a few recycled items. Squirt some paint in a bucket dangling over a big canvas (check the link for the full instructions), as it swings it will drip paint to create a cool moving art piece with a variety of colors and designs.
Learn more: hellowonderful.co
4. Colorful Fork Friends!
Help your kids create cute little monsters using an unexpected household item, a fork! The paint strokes made by the fork look like crazy fur/hair! Add googly eyes and draw extra details and your freaky friends are done.
Learn more: ourkidthings.com
5. Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles!
This activity for kids will be sure to blow their minds! In a large plastic container mix soapy water with paint then cover it with white paper. Give your kids straws and have them blow into the paint mixture until the bubbles reach the paper. They will leave cool colorful bubble imprints on the paper creating a totally unique design.
Learn more: earlylearningideas.com
6. Coffee Filter Designs
Grab a box of watercolors and some coffee filters for this art project. Some ideas you can try to create are ballerinas, rainbows, hot air balloons, silly faces, and more!
Learn more: thebestideasforkids.com
7. Foam Noodle Fun
This craft for kids has a wide variety of options for art supplies you can use. Cut the end off a pool noodle and glue on some pipe cleaners for a cool squiggly design, or some buttons for some texture. The possibilities are endless with this fun art activity!
Learn more: earlylearningideas.com
8. Cotton Ball Rain Clouds
Let gravity do the work with this rainy day painting technique. Have your kids glue some cotton balls in a cloud shape on the top half of a piece of paper. Use an eyedropper or saturate a cotton ball and squeeze some paint around the clouds. Then pick up your paper and let gravity help your paint fall like rain!
Learn more: alittlepinchofperfect.com
9. Smack and Splatter Art
This is a messy one folks! Find a big kitchen spoon, some small sponges, acrylic paint, paper, and go outside. Soak the sponges in different colors of paint and put them on the paper. Once you have them set up in a design give them a smack with the spoon! These splats will create bold paintings and put smiles (and some paint) on everyones' faces.
Learn more: taminglittlemonsters.com
10. Toothbrush Art
Who needs paintbrushes when you have toothbrushes! When it's time to get a new toothbrush instead of throwing your old ones away, give them to your kids to make some artistic masterpieces. This activity uses simple supplies and any type of paint or paper. So let's get brushing!
Learn more: kiddycharts.com
11. Q-Tip Painting
Q-tips are the perfect tool for kids to paint more detailed pictures and try all the colors with easy clean-up. Using Q-tips is great for improving kids' motor skills and makes dot painting a breeze. You can provide a guide for your kids by tracing a design on the paper and letting them fill it in with different colored dots! Great for cherry blossom trees or adding that special touch to a picture.
Learn more: laughingkidslearn.com
12. Contrasting Colors
Black and white paint are all you need for this bold paint project. Give your kid a black canvas and white paint or a white canvas and black paint and see how they use these contrasting colors to express themselves!
Learn more: playfullearning.net
13. Finger Painting Fun
Finger painting is a super fun hands-on approach to painting with kids. They are able to feel the paint and express themselves as boldly as they choose. So grab some fingerpaint (that's safe on skin and easily washable) and get creating!
Learn more: thecraftyclassroom.com
14. Sidewalk Chalk Paint
Making your own sidewalk paint is fun and easy, so try to follow this guide. With some old sidewalk chalk, corn starch, and water you can paint every sidewalk in your neighborhood!
Learn more: thebestideasforkids.com
15. Foam Brush Painting
Buy or make your own foam brushes by cutting smaller designs out of sponges and sticking them on some paint sticks. Washable paints work best, so grab lots of colors and let your kids brush away!
Learn more: myboredtoddler.com
16. Birch Tree Art Using Yarn
For the artistic child in all of us, this yarn painting is sure to get some "WOWS!'. Give your kids a canvas, some acrylic paint, and some yarn to make their design. They will wrap the yarn around the canvas to make the tree-like texture. Then use some cotton balls and any craft paint and dab away. Have it dry before they remove the yarn and behold their masterpiece!
Learn more: thepinterestedparent.com
17. Salt Painting
This salty activity will be sure to spark creativity in your kids' eyes. You'll want to get some strong paper, glue, watercolors, and yes SALT! Outline a design on the paper with a pen and then trace the lines with glue. Pour the salt over the glue and when it's dry, drop watercolors on top! Your kids' art will pop off the paper with the cool salt texture.
Learn more: littlebinsforlittlehands.com
18. Green Thumbprint Flower Pots
Get your kids excited about nature by helping them decorate their own flower pots! Grab some regular paints, find some ideas for cool thumbprint designs here, and get painting!
Learn more: thekindergartenconnection.com
19. Black Glue Jellyfish
For this beautiful painting activity, mix together black acrylic paint and glue following these directions and trace an outline of a jellyfish. Once the glue outline is dry your kids can use watercolors to add colors and bring their jellyfish to life!
Learn more: artycraftykids.com
20. Puffy Paint Fun!
Did you know you can make your own puffy paint at home? It's so simple and only takes a few household ingredients to whip up some magic! Once your paint is ready your kids can create amazing 3-D art as fluffy as clouds.
Learn more: sunlitspaces.com
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