Painting Activities for Kids

Painting activities for kids can be a really fun and fantastic learning opportunity. During painting, some things children learn Include visual expression, spatial intelligence, and colour recognition. Also, children can develop their creative prowess and motor skills when they paint often.

Read our blog article to find out more about painting and get inspired with these fun painting activities for kids. If your child loves painting feel free to have a look to have a browse on our directory to find painting activities for kids near you.

Benefits of Painting Activities for Kids?

There are so many incredible benefits of painting for children which makes this art form so much more than just colourful fun for kids!

Below we will list just a few of many benefits of painting activities for kids:

• Painting helps children connect and form friendships/bonds with each other.
• Painting activities for kids allows them to explore feelings, emotions and express it with a paintbrush as a form of therapy.
• Painting develops problem-solving abilities
• Art and painting helps to develop fine Motor skills.
• Painting activities for kids helps their brain to develop. Children’s brain synapses fire away as they experiment and create by squishing paint between their fingers, mixing colors & materials
• Art/painting promotes creativity

As you can see there are many benefits from painting activities for kids. There are many more we haven’t listed.

Fruit/Vegetable Printing

One of our really fun painting activities for kids includes cutting up vegetables/fruits such as potatoes and apples. You can then cut the vegetables to make a stamp or just print straight from the cut shape. Your child can paint the stamp whichever colour they like and then get creative on some paper.

This is a great painting activity because it is so simple, doesn’t take long to set up and can create some really beautiful art.

Ice Painting for Kids

Another one of our fun but simple painting activities for kids. Painting with ice! Simply pop a little bit of poster paint in an ice cube tray and freeze. You can stick a paintbrush in the middle, or lollipop stick or even let your children hold the cubes for a more sensory experience. This painting activity can be really enjoyable outside on a hot summer’s day. As the paint begins to melt from your cube it will just become liquid paint. If you don’t have paint you can use food colouring and water, this may be a little more runny but it will still produce some lovely planting and be a great experience.

This is also a great way to bring science into this and explain to older children about solids turning into liquid. If your child enjoys scientific experiments then you may want to take a look at what science classes are around you on our directory.

Decorate a Box

It sounds very simple, that’s because it really is. If you have a box lying around that you don’t need any more then why not let your child make a treasure chest. Allow them to get creative and paint a cardboard box. They can then put all of their treasured possessions inside. This painting activity will keep your little ones occupied for some time. If desired you could also paper mache the box before hand by sticking old newspaper to the box with a mixture of water and flour.

Paper Mache Recipe:

(Takes about 10 mins)

• An old newspaper, comics or magazines
• 1 level mug of plain flour
• 1 level mug of warm water, plus extra tap water for loosening

Method:

1. Tear or cut strips or little squares from your newspaper, comics or magazines
2. Stir together the flour and warm water in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Add extra tap water a little at a time to loosen. You don’t want any lumps
3. Cover your work area in more old newspaper. Dip the paper strips in the paste, wipe off the excess on the side of the bowl and stick onto your box
4. Use a paintbrush to smooth down the paper and remove any air bubbles or excess paste
5. Repeat to cover and leave to dry before adding further layers

Painting with Water

Something that most children love is playing with water. you can purchase many colouring books that you can paint with water and then when it dries it disappears. You can also purchase an aquadoodle, in the same way this allows you to paint with water and then when it dries you can start again. The great thing about this is that its totally mess free and can be used to entertain your little one for quite a while.

Handprint Painting for Kids

Children love to explore their senses, painting with hands or fingers is a very hands on sensory experience. It can be messy but it can be an activity enjoyed inside or out. Ensure to put lots of newspaper down to cover the area you are working on, let them go wild. You can either try and focus the activity and help them print their hand on to a card. Or you can simply allow them to experiment and see what they create. Ensure to be really encouraging and praise your child with how well they are getting on. Even if it’s not quite Picasso yet.

You could also pin up some canvas or material and allow your child to make some hand prints here. Especially if there are a few children. This is activity they can get involved with together.

Canvas Painting for Kids

Give your child a blank canvas and allow them to paint until their heart’s content. You may be surprised with what they create. It is so good for children to be able to freely paint and express themselves. You can pick up old canvases from charity shops and paint over them white and then when it’s dry your child can paint them again with their desired design.

Paint Salt Dough

Another great painting activity for kids is to make salt dough figures, or cut outs and then our child paint them. They can make lovely gifts for teachers and family members.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup cold water

If you want to prepare more, just increase the number of cups proportionally.

Recipe:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees
• Mix ingredients together until a ball is formed.
• Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Add water, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead dough for 10 minutes.
• Wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead until soft and pliable.
• Mould in to a bowl shape and (you can also add little gems in ) you may want to make a few
• Transfer to baking pan
• Bake in the preheated oven until dry and hard, about 2 hours. Allow to cool completely before decorating

Where to Find Painting Activities for Kids?

If painting is just not your thing, or you get a little stressed out about the mess then why not find somewhere for your child to paint at an art class by you. Take a look at our directory and see what you find.

Do you have any ideas for painting activities for kids? We would love to hear them. Do you know any amazing art classes by you? If so, please send our director Tessa an email at [email protected]

We hope you have been inspired with these fun painting activities for kids and you have an amazing time with your children getting your paint on!