Dry crayons are used to make drawings. But melting them can yield a method to paint using those same crayons.
Painting for Kids: 50 Unique Ideas They’ll Love
If you want to try easy 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 is a super fun art activity for kids that promotes not only creativity, but fine motor skills. And it’s never too early to start.
Painting with Children
If you’re ready to dig into some painting ideas, 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.
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.
Creative Painting Ideas for Children
You can try the following ideas to encourage your children to paint.
Move beyond brush strokes and create beautiful patterns with spin art.
What You Will Need
- Salad spinner
- Colours
- Scissors
- Paper plates
How to
- Take a few colours together and mix them well. This will create a paint that has multiple shades to it. You can do this using two colours as well to create a dual-shade.
- Allow your kid to use that paint on the paper plate. Do not use a lot of it since it can make it soggy.
- With the paint in one position, keep the plate on a salad spinner and run the machine. The paint will spill around across the plate’s surface in beautiful patterns.
Restricted Painting Using Tapes
Understanding the basics of negative space by using tapes to prevent painting certain areas and making a design out of it.
What You Will Need
- Paper meant for watercolours
- Watercolours
- Painting tape, preferably in a bright colour
- Crystals of salt
How to
- Lightly sketch the outline of a flower using a pencil and let your kid tape over it. These need to be taped correctly since it will form the shape once it is removed.
- Once all the tapes are in place, let your child start painting the rest of the area. Add colours within the flower and the surrounding sections, too.
- For added effect, let him sprinkle some salt crystals once he colours a section. This will add a nice texture to the flowers.
- Once the entire paper is covered in colours, let it dry on its own time and shake off the salt crystals once done.
- Then, gently peel out the tape in such a way that it doesn’t pull the paper with it. The taped area will be white and reveal the outline of the flower.
Painting an Art by Pouring Colours
A unique way of painting by putting the traditional technique aside and pouring colours directly onto the canvas.
What You Will Need
- Thick paper to be used with watercolours
- Watercolours
- Painting tape
- A large board to support the paper
- Paintbrushes
- Bottled spray
- A bowl
How to
- Mount the paper on the board first, securing it properly by pinning it on all sides.
- Dip a clean brush in clean water and paint the paper completely with it, leaving no section of the paper to be dry.
- Now, use the watercolours directly and pour them gently in one section of the paper. Move the board around, tilting it at times, to let the paint travel along the paper in different directions.
- Use multiple paints at the same time so that they can mix and create different colours.
- Make as many layers of colours as needed to make the patterns exciting and unique.
- Once the patterns are ready, tilt the board into the bowl to get rid of any excess paint and set the paper aside to dry.
