9 Fun Art Activities For Kids

Find your little one's inner Picasso...

Art is an absolutely wonderful way for your boys and girls to express themselves. For younger children, art can also help to enhance their ability to analyze and problem-solve, practice their fine motor skills and even learn the basics of math as they count pieces and colours. And in addition to promoting positive skills in older kids and teens such as collaboration, creative thinking, problem solving, and motivation, art has also shown to be a therapeutic benefit to help combat mental health issues.

So whether you have toddlers or teens, beginners or budding artists who are quite familiar with the paint brush, these art activities for kids are a perfect outlet for your children to use their imagination and develop their creativity.

1. Shaving Cream Marble Art

Abstract art doesn't get cooler than this. Super simple and super fun, this art activity will have your kiddos wanting do endless combinations.

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Shaving foam
Shallow baking dish, such as a pie plate
Liquid watercolour paint (or watered-down food colouring)
Droppers
Stir stick, such as a chopstick or the bottom of a paintbrush
Card stock (or poster board cut into smaller pieces)
A scraper, such as a square piece of cardboard

--STEP 1--

First, spray a layer of shaving cream to cover the bottom of your baking dish. Then, use a dropper to add drops of liquid watercolour paint on top of the shaving cream. (If you don’t have liquid watercolours, you can use watered-down food colouring).

--STEP 2--

Use a stick (a chopstick, the end of a paintbrush, or even the dropper) to swirl the paint around for a marbled effect.

--STEP 3--

Press a piece of card stock into the paint covered shaving cream.

--STEP 4--

Lift up the card stock then use a piece of cardboard to scrape off the shaving cream.

2. Smart Art June Workshops

Sign up for live, interactive art sessions for a great way to keep your little ones entertained and creative. Smart art is offering a variety of time slots to suit your schedules.

Sessions only allow for 4 students, to allow maximum benefit for everyone. There are three age groups available: 6-7, 8-9 and 10-11.

They also offer one-one-one private sessions. 

3. Shadow Drawing For Kids

Use the sun for a fun art activity that will get your kids to practice their drawing skills. If your child has some favourite toys, bring them out and see their excitement as they try to trace their shapes.

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Normal paper
Pencils or markers
Toy animals/action figures/other objects

--STEP 1--

Line up your chosen objects next to your window (choose simpler objects for younger kids) - then lay down a piece of paper next to each of them.

--STEP 2--

Get your pencils, colouring pens or markers out and start tracing the shadows that the objects create

4. Paint with Nature

Creating beautiful pieces of art can be as simple as finding tools from nature. Give your child a tray and tell them to pick a few things to paint with. They can also grab a few sticks for paint handles. This fun activity is all about experimenting and figuring out what you and the kiddos like best.

Remember to tell them what’s off-limits if you don’t want them to pick your beloved heirloom dahlias to paint with.

5. Egg Carton Flowers

Abstract art doesn't get cooler than this. Super simple, and super fun this activity will have your kiddos wanting do endless combinations.

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Acrylic Paint
Egg Carton (not foam)
Paper Straw
Pom Poms
Scissors
Glue
Paint Brush

--STEP 1--

Have an adult cut out four containers out of the egg carton. Trim around the edges so that it gives it a rounder shape for the petals of the flower.

--STEP 2--

Squirt some acrylic paint colors onto a paper plate and have the kids paint their flowers. Use any colors you’d like or use a pastel palate.

--STEP 3--

After the paint’s dried you can attach the stem of the flower by gluing it to the back. Use a paper straw so that it is thick enough to hold up the egg carton, if you use something like a pipe cleaner it will just bend.

--STEP 4--

Next choose a colored pom pom and glue that to the center of the painted egg carton.

6. Draw with Rob

Join #DrawWithRob, a series of twice-weekly draw-along videos designed to edutain you and your kids while you're stuck at home. Learn the art of drawing as you try to create a unicorn, monster, superhero bear, rainbow peacock and so much more!

7. Kandinsky for Kids: Process Art

Get inspired by the Russian born artist Kandinsky, in this fun activity. The best part about Kandinsky inspired art is that you can pretty much use whatever you have at home; spaghetti, cotton balls, and foam shapes would all be great things to use here. Gather unique finds around your house and create a mixed media compilation using paper shapes, wood BBQ skewers, toothpicks, foam stamps, glue and watercolours and incorporate a bit of geometry in there too.

8. Bubble Painting

Bubble painting produces bright, brilliant prints that are immediately frame-worthy, plus it’s the perfect balance between an exciting dry ice experiment and a creative art project, which makes an awesome STEAM activity for your littles.

--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--

Bowl full of warm water
Baking sheet
Dry ice
Liquid dish soap
Food colouring
White paper
Paper towels

--STEP 1--

Place the bowl of water on top of a baking sheet to catch the mess that I knew was coming. Use gloves to place a plum-sized chunk of dry ice into the bowl full of water. The interaction between dry ice and water is always fascinating to watch!

--STEP 2--

Squeeze a generous amount of liquid dish soap into the water. Like magic, cloud-filled bubbles will to grow out from the bowl (this will be super exciting for your little ones).

--STEP 3--

Squeeze one drop of food colouring onto the bubbles that are pouring out of the bowl. Before those bubbles can go anywhere, press a piece of white paper onto the coloured bubbles, pull it away, and voila! Bubble prints.

9. Waraqat's Online Origami Sessions

Sign up your child for online classes by Waraqat where they will learn the fascinating art of origami from the comfort of your own homes. You can even join them during these fun hands-on online Origami sessions! Sign them up (6years+) for solo sessions or participate with them!

Timings are flexible and content can be customized according to skill level.

KIDZAPP DEAL: Book 3 sessions or more to get 10% off original prices.

They also provide online geometric art sessions for kids (10+) and adults

--- Want more ideas for art activities for kids? Get Kidzapp now!