Dirt Painting
Materials: dirt, water, plastic container, brushes, paper
Directions: Mix the dirt with water to make a thick liquid. Paint a picture with brushes or with fingers.
Adaptations: Look for different types of soil to create different shades of “dirt” paint.
Materials: plastic ice cube tray, paint, craft sticks, paper
Directions: Pour paint in ice cube trays and insert a craft stick in each section. Freeze. Pop the “paint cubes” out of the tray and swirl around on the paper. As the paint melts, it will create a design.
Adaptations: Make similar ice cubes with water and liquid water color.
Wheel Painting
Materials: toy cars, trucks, and other vehicles with wheels, paint, newsprint or large sheets of paper, paper plates
Directions: Put a small amount of paint in the paper plates. Dip the wheels of the vehicles in the paint, and then “drive” them across the paper.
Adaptations: Give children rubber fishing worms and dip them in paint. Wiggle across a sheet of paper to make designs.
Materials: 4 small cups, food coloring, paper towels, water
Directions: Take the cups and put water and a large squirt of food coloring in each cup. Children take a paper towel and fold it into a small square. They dip each corner in a different color. Open and dry.
Fence Painting
Fence Painting
Materials: large sheets of paper, clothespins, paints, paint brushes
Directions: Attach large sheets of paper to a fence with clothespins.
Children can freely paint on the paper.
Adaptations: Put paint in pie pans and give children fly swatters to dip in the paint and swat on the paper.
Window Painting
Materials: shaving cream (non-menthol)
Directions: Squirt shaving cream on windows and let children fingerpaint. Clean up is easy with a hose.