!If you want to try painting for kids, I have just the projects for you. Try these acrylic paint crafts with your little ones – so much fun!
Skills Required: None. All of these ideas are perfect for beginners, as well as children of any age. I believe adults will have just as good of a time making these as the kids will.
One of my earliest memories of doing crafts of any kind is taking painting classes in second grade. I also remember exactly what I wanted to paint that year – my first muse was named Claire, and she was my Cabbage Patch Kid.
I remember her little pink jumper, blonde braids, blue eyes, and tiny pig nose. And how I tried to paint them so diligently and accurately. I think the nose was a little too big, the head misshapen, and the braids definitely too thin.
But that’s not the point, right?
Painting for kids isn’t about being the next Van Gogh. At least from my perspective. What I was painting didn’t matter, because I was learning to express my creativity and add my own interpretation of the world to paper with paint and a brush.
Painting Ideas for Kids
If you’re ready to dig into some painting ideas for children, I’ve got a ton for you. And you’re going to love them. Before we get started though, I want to go through some frequently asked questions about painting for kids.
To get to the projects, simply scroll down to the list. Otherwise, here are the top questions answered!
What kind of paint do you use for kids?
You can use a variety of paints with children’s crafts. Here are the most common paints that I recommend to you:
- Acrylic Paints – you’ll find inexpensive sets in the kids’ section of the craft store.
- Craft Paints – these are typically sold as individual bottles in the paint section of the craft store. My favorite brand is Apple Barrel.
- Tempera Paints – this paint is thinner and more liquid than acrylic. It’s harder to control when you want a really sharp looking project, but it’s inexpensive (and typically washable!).
- Watercolor Paints – made from a pigment and a binder, and the thinnest of any of the paints. For kids you’ll buy these in a tray, and they’re very budget friendly.
You can also make homemade paints, which are featured in some of these projects (for example, puffy paint!).
For any paint type you select, make sure the label says “Conforms to ASTM D-4236.” Conforms to ASTM D-4236 means that the label will indicate if there are any hazardous substances within the paint. It’s typically required of art supplies.
You’re going to be looking for paints that don’t list hazardous substances as ingredients – waterbased, non-toxic paints. That way if the paint gets on the skin or (oopsie) in the mouth, you don’t have to worry.
What does painting do for a child?
I believe this quote says it best!
Painting is a way for children to do many important things: convey ideas, express emotion, use their senses, explore color, explore process and outcomes, and create aesthetically pleasing works and experiences.
–Penn State Extension
What kind of paint is best for beginners?
I recommend starting with acrylic paint. Specifically, look for craft paint at Michaels, in the painting section of the store with all the individual bottles.
Use Apple Barrel or something similar. Apple Barrel is a non-toxic craft/acrylic paint that is perfectly pigmented and just the right price. It’s really easy to use and the color palettes are great.
How do I teach my child to paint?
I would say there is more a parent needs to do to prepare a child for painting than the kid! Get mentally prepared for a bit of a mess and cover your workspace (and your child) accordingly.
More than teaching them to paint, let your child be creative. Walk them through a lot of the projects below – there are several techniques and lots of different tools that kids will enjoy. Don’t try to control the process; let your littles have a good time and go in whatever direction the project takes them.
Ready to jump into painting with kids? Check out the great list of projects below!
If you want some smart painting ideas for kids, check out the following projects! There are 50 great tutorials here, and lots of them use supplies you already have on hand.
DIY Spin Art Machine
Make your own spin painter by using a household item as a spin painter! This DIY spin art machine is so fun for kids to do – it’s budget friendly and easy to set up.
Button Birdhouses
This easy birdhouse craft is such a great craft for kids. They will keep your children occupied this summer – and the colorful buttons are so fun!
Sweet Strawberry Rocks
These is such a perfect idea for tiny little stones, and so easy to make. What other fruits can you make out of rocks?
Scrape Painting
Scrape painting is a super art process for color mixing! Using red, yellow, and blue paint, kids can create bold and colorful works of art with simple tools.
Wood Chip Necklace
Grab some wood circles in various sizes, paint them on both sides, and turn them into unique necklaces! This is a great project that can also be turned into keychains, charms, and more.
Glue & Fabric Batik
Children will love painting on fabric, and washable glue makes a perfect resist for this project! Kids will love making their own unique designs.
Sidewalk Chalk Paint
This three-ingredient sidewalk chalk paint is a blast for kids! Learn how to make it – you probably have everything on hand. This sidewalk paint is such a fun summer activity!
Glowing Moon Shirt
Make a glow in the dark t-shirt with an image of the moon using this easy tutorial – all you need is some glowing fabric paint.
Painted Rock Photo Holder
This painted rock photo holder is perfect as a homemade gift, and also makes a great summer camp craft! This creative idea uses stones of various sizes and can be adapted for just about any age.
Flower Print + Scrape Painting
Using flowers as brushes is a fun way to start painting for kids! After you paint with the florals, you try a scraping technique that adds a colorful touch to this interesting project.
Shaving Cream Painting
Turn shaving cream into a paint medium with the addition of food coloring. I love this Earth Day project that uses paper plates as a canvas.
Colorful Paper Plate Flowers
Leslie uses four paper plates to make each flower along with some beautifully vibrant watercolors! Kids are going to enjoy the effects they can get with layering the floral pieces.
Painting with Circles
For this fun art activity, you’ll use disposable cups to create bold paintings. This would be a great art project to do with a shape study.
Rainbow Flower Pots
Use a variety of colors to make painted flower pots with rainbow ombre awesomeness! Both children and adults alike will love this easy craft. So fun!
Q-Tip Watercolor Painting
Here’s a classic process art project for kids – painting with Q-tips (cotton swabs) and watercolor paint. This art activity is perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and on up!
Handprint Rainbows
This rainbow painting for kids will allow your littles to get really “hands-on”! Children will love exploring color mixing and blending.
Balloon Dart Painting
Dart balloon painting is a fun way to get creative outdoors! Kids will love seeing the paint splatter which results in bright and colorful abstract paintings.
Jellyfish Salt Painting
Have you ever tried salt painting for kids? You use real salt along with glue and watercolors to make vibrant, textured images.
Spray Bottle Galaxy
This simple space painting project is perfect for any age child, even one who is hesitant about their artistic ability or creativity. You really can't mess it up!
Rainbow Squeegee Art
This fun process art for helps kids experiment with vibrant rainbow colors using a squeegee painting method. Make unique art on a variety of surfaces.
Van Gogh Fork Scrape Painting
Even kids can paint the starry night! It's easy to imitate one of the masters using bright colors and a fork. It's fun to see how children interpret this classic painting.
Poinsettia Canvas
This easy Christmas craft for kids will be a cute addition to your holiday decor! Families can make this poinsettia canvas together.
Rock Doll Faces
These sweet dolls are easy to make with just a few simple items and make adorable handmade gifts from the kids. They’re also fun for pretend play with lots of options to create unique characters.
Smushed Paint Art
What if there were a technique were you could smush paint to create art - but not get messy? Guess what, I've found it! Smush painting uses a simple kitchen supply for a unique effect.
Cherry Blossoms with Cotton Balls
Nothing says spring like seeing blooming cherry blossom trees in gorgeous shades of pink! This cherry blossom painting is a wonderful spring art project for kids. Using cotton balls to paint with is so fun for kids of all ages.
Dot Painting with Q-Tips
Making dot art is a fun, interactive art project for kids of all ages. My kids have been wanting to try this art project for awhile now so we were super excited to get started. We loved going through all our paints and picking out the best colors for each kid to use.
It’s a very easy setup, all you need is paint, Q-tips and canvas! Perfect to do with a large or small group of kids.
Mix 'N' Match Snakes
Children can enjoy mixing and matching the brightly coloured segments to make a unique snake every time they play.
Painting Swirly Flowers
I love to experiment with paints and painting, right alongside my daughters, but I am definitely an amateur. Painting swirly flowers are as simple as can be, but with frame-worthy results. We can’t stop making them! I think you and your kids will have fun combining colors and creating your own uniquely beautiful swirly flowers.
Kids Canvas Art DIY
An easy kids art project using a canvas, painters tape and paint! Perfect craft DIY for kids of all ages!
Paint on Foil
Foil painting just requires an easy little switch. Foil instead of paper means a new painting surface; a slippery, reflective surface that’s extra fun to paint on.
Drip Painting Rainbow Name
Your child will have so much fun with this drip painting rainbow name activity. The vibrant rainbow colors will have your child recognizing the letters in their name in no time plus you can even add more to make it an alphabet activity too!
Make Art with Straws
This germ blow painting art is perfect for preschoolers when learning about sickness, the human body, and the immune system.
Painted Walking Sticks
Painted walking sticks are fun and easy for kids to make with the sticks they find when they’re out for a walk. This is a great art activity that doesn’t cost a thing, and your kids will be so proud to carry their custom-painted sticks when hiking around the neighbourhood or out in nature.
Homemade Puffy Paint
This HOMEMADE PUFFY PAINT recipe is easy to make with just 3 ingredients: self-rising flour, salt and water. Paint your picture, put it in the microwave, and it puffs right up! Your kids will love it!
Pendulum Painting
This Pendulum Painting Activity for Kids teaches children that everyday objects can create amazing art.
Recycled Paint Scrapers
Do you have a used gift card or an old credit card hidden in your wallet? If you do you have exactly what you need to make this DIY paint scraper for kids. These are so easy and such a fun, satisfying process for kids of any age!
Paint with Bubbles
Save your old soap dispensers The bubble paint looks puffy when wet and shiny when it’s dry and feels smooth to touch
Inspired by Matisse
Creating big art is a fun way for kids to express themselves freely and is easy to set up! I love how my daughter was inspired by Matisse and made it her own.
Wrapped Yarn Resist Birch Trees
I love birch trees and thought that this technique might work well for making birch tree landscape paintings. With a little help from my little girl, we played around with this method. We love the results and are excited about how simple and pretty these are.
Claude Monet Water Lilies
Using a piece of card and spoon for colour mixing, children can recreate their own impressionist water lily painting. And while our tool of choice is the spoon, children can explore and experiment with their hands, brushes, a sponge, scrap card or anything else they fancy trying to add texture and movement to the pond.
Pointillism Art with Q-Tips
Pointillism art with Q-tips is one of our standby, super-easy-yet-interesting activities that we turn to again and again. I set it up for after school or after nap (back in the day when my kids took naps) or in other in-between times.
The post Painting for Kids: 50 Unique Ideas They’ll Love appeared first on Mod Podge Rocks.