Bounce Painting
Make art by bouncing paint across the paper.
Idea from Twins at Play
Ages1–8 yrs
Ideas50
From34 blogs
Levelmedium
MessHigh
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class
A collection of 50 art ideas for kids who love paint but need to move, not sit. Kids bounce, roll, swing, squirt, kick and stomp their way to big art, with ideas from TurkeyMom and fellow kids-activity bloggers.
⚠️ Safety first
- Use washable, non-toxic kids' paint and supervise closely, especially with babies and toddlers who put things in their mouths.
- Painted feet, floors and slides get slippery. Have kids move carefully and wash up right away.
50 ideas
Tin Cans Painting
Roll tin cans through paint to make tracks.
by Fun Littles
Throw Ball Painting
Dip balls in paint and throw them at the paper.
by Fun Littles
Gigantic Ball Painting
Paint big with gigantic balls.
by 4 Herreras
Pendulum Painting
Swing a tire-swing pendulum to drip paint in patterns.
by Housing a Forest
Ribbon Painting
A big-art project for toddlers using ribbons and paint.
by Hands On As We Grow
Squirt Gun Painting
Fill squirt guns with paint and spray your art.
by Fun Littles
Slide Painting
Paint on the playground slide.
Idea from Mess for Less
Painting in the Shower
Make art in the shower, where cleanup is easy.
Idea from Learn Play Imagine
Active Toddler Art
An active art idea made for toddlers.
Idea from Two Daloo
Painting with Rocks
Use rocks as the painting tool.
by Fantastic Fun and Learning
Pitch and Paint
Pitch your way to a painting.
Idea from Growing a Jeweled Rose
Bubble Wrap Painting
Make prints and textures with bubble wrap.
Idea from Irresistible Ideas
Active Disk Painting
Get moving with disks and paint.
by Fun Littles
Trike Painting
Ride trikes through paint to make wheel tracks.
Idea from The Golden Gleam
Spin Art
Spin your way to colorful art.
Idea from Growing a Jeweled Rose
Mop Painting
Paint big with a mop.
by Teach Preschool
Feet Painting
Big art made by painting with your feet.
by Fun at Home with Kids
Rain Boots Painting
Print with painted wellie boots.
by The Imagination Tree
Large Scale Car Painting
Drive vehicles through paint on a large surface.
by Fun Littles
Fly Swatter Painting
Swat paint onto paper with fly swatters.
by Reading Confetti
Balloon Painting
Paint by dabbing and bouncing balloons.
by Growing a Jeweled Rose
Exploding Art
Make art that explodes with color.
by Housing a Forest
Flick Painting
Flick paint to make splatter art.
by Fun Littles
Painting with Toy Trains
Run toy trains through paint on canvas.
by Play Trains
Bouncy Ball Painting
Paint with patio toys like space hoppers and trikes.
by Sun Hats and Wellie Boots
Splat Painting
Make splat art.
by Toddler Approved
Pumpkin Roll
Roll a pumpkin to make paint tracks.
Idea from Putti's World
Coconut Painting
Process art for preschoolers, painting with coconuts.
by Fun-A-Day
Shaker Painting
Shake things up to paint.
by Picklebums
Chalk Splat
Sidewalk splat painting with chalk-filled balloons.
by Growing a Jeweled Rose
Squirt Bottle Painting
Spray paint from squirt bottles.
Idea from Mess for Less
Frog Feet Painting
Make frog footprints.
by Coffee Cups and Crayons
Window Painting
Paint on windows.
Idea from Mess for Less
Silly Sensory Ball Painting
Paint with silly sensory balls.
by B-Inspired Mama
Kick Ball Painting
Big art made by rolling eggs and balls through paint.
by Hands On As We Grow
Full Body Painting
Let's get messy: painting with the whole body.
by Pre-school Play
Michelangelo Painting
Explore how Michelangelo worked with preschoolers.
by Rainy Day Mum
Coffee Can Painting
Paint with golf balls in coffee cans.
by Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds
Squishy Toy Painting
Critter painting with squishy toys.
by Creative Connections for Kids
Paint with Your Feet
A summer camp painting day with feet.
Idea from Sense of Wonder
Large Drip Painting
Kids' art dripping with paint, on a large scale.
by Childhood 101
Active Art for Baby
Baby play with markers and a big cardboard box.
by Lessons Learnt Journal
Giant Hand Print Art
Make giant hand print art.
by Fun Littles
Gymnastics Painting
Paint while doing gymnastics.
Idea from Fun Littles
Hole Painting
Paint around a hole in a large sheet of paper on the ground.
by The Artful Parent
Dance Painting
Dance while you paint.
Idea from Stress Free Kids
Sidewalk Fizzing Art
Fizzing art on the sidewalk.
Idea from Learn Play Imagine
Chasing Bubbles Art
Chase colorful bubbles to make art.
by Childhood Beckons
Slide Mark Making
Draw and make marks on a slide.
by TinkerLab
Tips
- If the child gets stir crazy and can't stay at the art table long enough to finish the art activity, these ideas will work great!from the author
- These are great for fine motor, art-loving kids too because, let's just face it, it involves lots of paint.from the author
- Active art means art activities that don't involve sitting at a table with a paintbrush. We love those too!from the author
What readers say
💬 3 comments
Read all 3 comments
Emma · Aug 2013
What an amazing resource! Thanks for compiling it all!