Guest Blog:
Painting Ideas for Kids to Try at Home

Whether you’re looking for a great birthday party craft idea, want to introduce your child to art, need a babysitting activity, or simply want a way to occupy the kids on the weekend, painting is fantastic for children!

There are tons of easy painting ideas for kids that any tiny tot with the right materials can have a lot of fun putting together. Get some inspiration from these simple and inexpensive ideas and see if you can make some creative projects and treasured memories painting with your kids.

What You’ll Need (Each craft has different requirements!)

• Cheap acrylics or watercolors depending on the craft (kids don’t care much about the paint quality, and they’re probably going to waste a lot of paint, too).
• A brush set with at least 3-5 varying sizes for each kid
• Water glasses
• Paper plates or easels for mixing paint
• Newspaper or a craft tablecloth
• Painter’s aprons to protect kids’ clothes (make sure they’re wearing cheap clothes, too —— you never know what mess they can accomplish!)
• Canvases or other objects to be painted

Paint a Treasure Box

In virtually any local craft store, you’re bound to find a section with small wooden boxes that are inexpensive and can hold jewelry or other small items. They can be wood or cheap cardboard, depending on how long you want them to last.

These boxes are absolutely perfect for a kid to paint, and it’s a wonderful thought to have a special, unique box you can hide your toys and other treasures in. They can use it to decorate their bedroom, too.

Try Spin Art Painting

If you have a salad spinner or you purchase a fun and inexpensive “machine”, you can easily create fun and aesthetically-pleasing “spin art”. To do this unique craft, you simply place a paper in the bottom of the spinner, drop some liquid dabs at the bottom, and watch exciting designs appear as the spinner moves the paint around. This is a neat way to teach your kid fine motor skills and different methods of creativity.

Glaze Tiles or Other Ceramics

Painting your own ceramics and getting them fired is a popular activity that’s in practically every city in the U.S. The exciting part about glazing ceramics is that you don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like when it’s done—and that’s half the fun for kids.

Ceramics can run on the pricey side if you choose something elaborate like a serving bowl or a figurine. However, almost every ceramics studio has cheap square tiles that kids love to paint, and they make cute DIY table decor. Just make it clear from the start that you’re going to paint a tile, so they’re not disappointed when they can’t paint a $50 dragon statue!

Paint By Numbers

A Paint By Numbers canvas or paper kit is a great way to introduce your child to painting at a young age. The simple activity is calming for both children and adults, and it also teaches them patience and spatial awareness as they have to stay carefully within the lines.

Canvas painting for kids is never easier than when the guides are printed directly on the artwork, so there’s no stress. If you have a rainy day, whip one of these out and you’re sure to kill an hour or so. Even if they make a huge mess, it’s still tons of fun!

Make Glue-Resist Art

All you have to do is draw your design in craft glue, wait for it to dry, paint with watercolors over it, and let the design “magically” reveal itself as it resists the glue. If your child is too young or too unconfident to do the glue drawing themselves, you can make a simple drawing and they can get some simple joy out of watching the watercolors spread. Using a paper plate as the “canvas” for this activity is easy, inexpensive, and has a fun result.

Have Fun Painting With Kids!

Painting is a fantastic way to introduce creative skills to your children and keep them mentally stimulated. Painting helps engage the brain, improve fine motor skills, and promote creative thinking at all ages. Remember, it’s worth cleaning up the mess if you can make a few cherished memories in the process. Put a bunch of newspapers down and help your little art prodigy get their start!

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