Looking for a fun twist on painting with watercolors? My preschool-aged son and nephew loved this watercolor for kids painting idea. This process art idea is so simple, yet you’ll be amazed how it brings out your child’s creativity!
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I got this watercolor painting idea from the book Art Lab for Little Kids: 52 Playful Projects for Preschoolers. We found it at our local library, but it’s also available on Amazon here. I tweaked the process a bit to work for my kids, but the idea is so simple and easy! I have a feeling we’ll be trying many more art projects from this fantastic little book.
Watercolor for Kids Materials:
- watercolors
- paintbrushes
- art paper or watercolor paper
- markers
- mat or baking pan
- cup with water
Love this simple art activity? You’ll like painting with paint sticks and toys as well! Or have some fun with simple pom-pom painting.
Watercolor Painting Prep:
- Create a paint-proof work space. Either use big plastic mats or kitchen baking pans to catch the mess.
- Give your child a tray of watercolor paints, paintbrush, a cup with water, and napkins.
- Show your child how to wash the brush out in the water so the colors don’t get muddied up.
- Before you paint, show your child how to get the right amount of water on the brush. Experiment on scrap paper with a too-dry brush and a too-wet brush. Explain that the right amount of water will make painting much easier!
Looking for more fun activities to help you learn and connect with your child? My toddler and preschooler curriculum packs combine Bible-based themes and hands-on learning ideas. Let’s get started! Check out the curriculum collection in the shop!
Watercolor Connect the Dot Painting Instructions:
- Begin with a blank piece of paper. Have your child place random dots on the paper with markers.
- Show your child how to connect the dots to make shapes. They don’t have to be geometric shapes, but you can definitely use this as a teaching opportunity as well to review basic shapes.
- Encourage your child to paint in the shapes using watercolors. Then paint the background a complementary color. If your kids paint like mine, the watercolors will eventually be painted over the marker lines. (They really enjoy “blending!”) But you’ll get some really interesting artworks!
We love creating art together! Art is one of my favorite parts of our relaxed homeschool preschool routine. Read how we take a laid-back, organic approach to learning ABC’s and 123’s at home.
Did you try this simple watercolor for kids project? Let us know how your artworks turned out!
