Try this simple to set up water droplet painting activity for kids. Any theme, any season, all you need is a little imagination, water, and paint. Even if your kiddos aren’t the crafty type, every kid loves to paint with water drops. Combine science and art for fun, hands-on STEAM activities!
ART WITH WATER DROPS
Add this fun water droplet painting project to your art activities this season. Combine a bit of science with a process art activity for kids of all ages. While you’re at it, check out more fun STEAM projects for kids.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE STEAM PROJECT
WATER DROP PAINTING
💡Look through all of our art projects for kids [here].
SUPPLIES:
- Art Paper
- Watercolor paints
- Water
- Brush
- Dropper
INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: Use the dropper to place water drops around your paper in any design you like.
STEP 2: Use your paintbrush to GENTLY color each drop by filling your brush with color and
gently touching each drop’s top.
You don’t want to break the drops and spread water all over the page!
Watch what happens to the water drops!
The drop will magically change color as if you were using a magic wand! Repeat with different colors!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Surface tension and cohesion are why you can form water bubbles on your paper. Cohesion is the “stickiness” of like molecules to one another. Water molecules love to stick together! Surface tension is the result of all the water molecules sticking together.
When you gently place the small drop on the paper, a dome shape begins to form. This is due to the surface tension forming a shape with the least amount of surface area possible (like bubbles)! Learn more about surface tension.
Now, when you add more (your colored water) water to the drop, the color will fill the entire drop already there. Don’t add too much, though, or your ‘bubble’ will pop!
MORE FUN PAINTING IDEAS
- Check out tons more easy painting ideas for kids and also how to make to paint.
- Grab a bubble wand and try bubble painting.
- Make colorful art with ice cubes.
- Paint with salt and watercolors for fun salt painting.
- Make fizzing art with baking soda painting! And more…
Helpful Art Resources To Get You Started
Here are a few resources that will help you introduce art more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.
- Free Color Mixing Mini Pack
- Getting Started with Process Art
- Preschool Art Projects
- How to Make Paint
- Easy Painting Ideas For Kids
- Fun Pop Art Ideas
- Outdoor Art Projects
- Free Art Challenges
- What Are The 7 Elements Of Art?
- STEAM Activities (Science + Art)
- Make an art cart!
- Famous Artist Birthdays
Printable Art Bundle
You’ll find each of our famous artists featured in our Famous Artists Project Pack 👇 including tons of fantastic resources!
This bundle includes a variety of art packs to cover different areas of the art experience! Perfect for ages 5-12, with various activities to suit all age levels. Easy to use in the home or classroom.
PACKS INCLUDE:
- Famous Artists Project Pack with 25+ artists to explore past and present, including women, people of color, and indigenous peoples.
- Artists Challenge Pack: Various extra art projects, including a museum scavenger hunt and extras.
- 7 Elements of Art Pack: Learn about and explore the 7 elements of art with handy information, tips, and fun projects to try.
- Art and Playdough Pack: Make homemade playdough and use these art mats with kids of all ages featuring famous artists with simple information.
- Art Techniques Pack: Learn watercolor, collage, and printmaking techniques for your art projects. Complete with information, tips, and activities to try!
