Summer is the perfect time to do some fun art projects with your kids – more specifically, MESSY art projects! Put your kids in their swimsuits, make a mess, and then spray off with the hose or let them run through the sprinkler! Here are just a few ideas for some outdoor art projects:
Splatter Paint Canvas
You’ll Need:
1 Canvas per child
1 Water squirter per color paint (Hint: These are in the Dollar Spot at Target right now!)
Paint 3-4 colors (or as many as you like)
Water
Plastic containers
The Basics:
Water down your paint in individual plastic containers. Prop up your canvas. Load up your water squirter with paint and let the kids have fun spraying their canvas with color! A little bit of paint goes a long way; just barely loading up your squirter will really give that splatter effect.
Tie Dye T-Shirts
You’ll Need:
Plain white T-shirts
Lots of rubber bands
Fabric dye
Water
The Basics:
There are lots of tutorials out there for this one, but this is a great thing to do outside. A couple tips to make your tie-dying successful:
- Limit your colors and put colors next to each other that are in the same color family or will mix to make another color (that’s not brown!).
- I love using spray bottles for little kids if you are doing multiple colors. Having the dye in a spray bottle makes it easy to control the amount of dye and avoid having it running all over the place.
Shaving Cream Marbled Paper
You’ll Need:
Disposable aluminum tray(s)
Shaving cream
Liquid water color paint (Hint: Soak dried up markers upside down in a cup of water to make your own liquid watercolors)
Cardstock or other heavyweight paper
Plastic comb or pick, plastic knife, fork, or toothpicks
The Basics:
Fill your tray up with a layer of shaving cream. Add several drops of paint and use various tools (comb, pick, etc.) to swirl the colors around. Add paint and swirl until you are happy with how it looks. Place your paper on top and press down. Scrape off the extra shaving cream to reveal your beautiful marbled paper. You can make a bunch and bind together to make a journal or sketchbook to record your summer adventures! This paper is also great for turning into handmade cards or using in other craft projects.
Here are some other less messy options for outdoor art:
• Sidewalk chalk
• Nature drawings
• Texture rubbings from things found outside
I hope you enjoy trying these out this summer! Do you have any favorite outdoor art projects? Share with us, so we can try them out!
