Whether you have a budding Picasso or just want to keep a little one busy for the afternoon with homemade paint, painting activities make for a fantastic and sensory-rich art experience for kids of all ages! Here, you will find tons of painting ideas that are great for toddlers to older kiddos too!
Painting For Toddlers
Yes, 2 year olds can have fun painting too! Painting activities for toddlers provide a sensory experience for them, develop fine motor skills, gives them practice with recognizing colors and are just fun! Plus we have edible (taste-safe) paint too! Here are a few ideas that are perfect for this younger age group.
Bath Paint
What better way to contain the mess of painting with toddlers than in the bath! Get the kiddos to make their own works of art that you can easily clean up.
Edible Paint
Edible paint is fantastic for babies and toddlers who are still putting everything in their mouths. It is easy to make yourself and fun to use. It also makes a great part activity for the crafty party kid!
Finger Paint
Homemade finger painting is one of the best ways for young kiddos (and big ones) to explore art!
Fly Swatter Painting
Use a fly swatter as a paintbrush, easier for little hands to hold.
Ice Cube Painting
Make your own colorful ice paints which are easy to use outside and just as easy to clean up.
Rainbow In A Bag
This colorful paint in a bag idea is a fun way of doing finger painting without the mess. Also check out our apple painting in a bag and leaf painting in a bag!
Free Printable Process Art Guide
Easy Painting Ideas to Try
Explore over 30 easy painting activities below that are fun for kids to paint and totally do-able! All of these painting ideas use different art techniques to develop kids’ understanding and enjoyment of art without them even realizing it!
Learn from famous artists, try open-ended and sometimes messy process art activities, or add a bit of science to painting for STEAM.
Baking Soda Painting
We love baking soda science experiments, now make fizzing art with baking soda! Kids will love this painting activity!
Blow Painting
Straws instead of paintbrushes? Absolutely with blow painting!
Bubble Painting
Mix up your own bubble paint and grab a bubble wand. Talk about a budget-friendly painting idea!
Bubble Wrap Painting
Love playing with and popping bubble wrap! But you can also paint with bubble wrap. Make sure to set aside your next bubble wrap packaging to create simple colorful art!
Also check out apple painting and pumpkin painting with bubble wrap!
Butterfly Painting
Make a polka dot butterfly painting inspired by famous artist, Yayoi Kusama. Printable butterfly template included!
Coffee Painting
Prep an exciting coffee painting art project for kids inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night Painting.
Corn Painting
Forget the paint brushes, and try this fun corn on the cob art project instead! Corn painting makes for awesome process art to explore the colors and textures of Fall.
Crazy Hair Painting
Kind of a messy but a very fun painting idea; the kids will have a blast trying this crazy hair painting!
Dinosaur Footprint Art
Get STOMPING, stamping or printmaking with dinosaur painting that uses toy dinosaurs as paintbrushes.
Dot Flower Painting
Color in our printable flower template scene with nothing but painted dots. Also called pointillism!
Explore more dot painting with our Shamrock Dot Art, Apple Dot Art and Winter Dot Art.
Flower Painting
Paint these fun bright and colorful flowers with your own homemade stamps, inspired by famous artist, Alma Thomas.
Flower Painting (Process Art)
Dip real flowers into paint and stamp them onto paper to create colorful patterns.
Handprint Salt Painting
This fun art activity combines two of our favorite ideas – handprints and salt painting!
Leaf Painting
Use real leaves to make a simple mixed media leaf painting using watercolor paints and white crayons as a resist. Easy to do for a cool effect!
LEGO Painting
LEGO bricks are fantastic for kids to use as stamps. Grab the printable project, and paint a city skyline using paint and LEGO pieces.
Magnet Painting
Magnet painting is a fantastic way to explore magnetism and create a unique piece of art.
Marble Painting
Marbles make a cool paintbrush in this super simple to set up painting activity. Get ready for process art that’s a bit active, a bit silly, and a little messy.
Ocean Painting
Ocean theme salt art! Combine a popular kitchen ingredient and a bit of physics for cool art and science that everyone is sure to love!
Painting Snow
Can you paint real snow? You betcha! Just a few simple supplies to make your own homemade paint and your have a fun outdoor winter painting idea for the kids.
Pinecone Painting
Grab a handful of pinecones for a fantastic pinecone painting activity.
Potato Masher Painting
Use everyday kitchen tools like potato mashers to explore the world of colors, shapes, and textures with this process art project.
Pumpkin Dot Painting
Turn a real pumpkin into a piece of art with painted dots inspired by famous artist, Yayoi Kusama.
Rain Painting
Take your art project outdoors the next time it rains! Its called rain painting!
Salad Spinner Painting
Use a salad spinner and paper plate to make colorful patterns with paint. There is even a bit of science to it!
Salt Painting
Even if your kiddos aren’t the crafty type, every kid loves to paint with salt and watercolor or food coloring. Combine science and art with this easy absorption process.
Also check out our leaf salt painting and snowflake salt painting!
Shape Stamping
Painting or stamping with shapes is a fun art activity to do with young kids! Use everyday items to learn, for an easy way to teach kids basic shapes.
Sidewalk Painting
This is an awesome way to get outdoors, and paint pictures. What could be better than that? Plus, you can make this homemade paint recipe yourself!
Also try our fizzy sidewalk painting and puffy sidewalk painting!
Snow Paint
Want to know how to paint some cool looking shivery snow? Treat the kids to an indoor painting session with this super easy to make snow paint recipe!
Snowflake Painting
Our tape resist snowflake painting is easy to set up and fun to do with kids.
Snowy Night Painting
Set up an invitation to make a wintery snowy night painting. This Van Gogh inspired activity is perfect for exploring mixed media art with kids.
Splatter Painting
Kind of messy but a totally fun painting activity, the kids will have a blast trying paint splatter!
Spice Painting
Have a go at sensory painting with this easy natural scented spice painting activity.
Starry Night
Try something a little different with a Starry Night art project! Free printable included.
String Painting
String painting or pulled string art is easy to do with a few simple supplies, string and paint.
Turtle Dot Painting
Dot painting is a great way to develop your child’s fine motor skills. Plus, it’s fun!
Watercolor Painting
Check out over 15 easy watercolor painting ideas that kids will love!
Water Drop Painting
An easy painting idea with a difference. Combine the science of surface tension, and art to paint with water drops.
Watercolor Galaxy Painting
Create your own galaxy painting inspired by the beauty of our amazing Milky Way galaxy.
Water Gun Painting
Try water gun painting for an awesome water art project with easy materials. A fun outdoor painting idea in the summer!
Easy Homemade Paints to Make
You don’t need to go to the art store to start! Try one of these homemade paint recipes instead for a start-to-finish hands-on painting project.
- Egg Tempera Paint
- Flour Paint
- Edible Paint
- Puffy Paint
- Glittery Snow Paint
- Fingerpaint
- Watercolors
- Fizzy Paint
- Sidewalk Paint
Printable Process Art Project Pack
Are you ready to unlock your kid’s creativity and imagination with hassle-free, budget-friendly fun?
Look no further than our Process Art Pack
🌈 Dive into Endless Creativity: From bubble painting to marble rolling, our pack offers diverse activities that celebrate the artistic process. Watch your kids explore colors, textures, and shapes while having a blast!
👩🎨 Fun for Every Age: Whether you have a curious toddler or a budding artist, our activities are designed to engage children of various ages and developmental stages.
💰 Budget-Friendly and Easy Setup: Grab some paper, paint, and a few household items, and you’re ready to unleash your child’s creativity!
🎉 Create Lasting Memories: Bond with your little ones as you embark on artistic adventures together.
