# Squirt Gun Painting > Mix powdered tempera with water, load it into squirt guns, and spray big, vibrant splatter art onto paper taped to an outdoor wall. You can add numbers, shapes or colors to the paper to make it a recognition game. - URL: https://www.funlittles.com/art-activities-with-squirt-guns/ - Ages: 3–8 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high - Time: prep 15 min, activity 30 min - Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class - Skills: hand-eye-coordination, fine-motor, number-recognition, shape-recognition, color-recognition, process-art ## Materials (one batch) - 1 piece Squirt guns (small water pistols) - Powdered tempera paint - Water (household) - 1 piece Plastic cups for mixing paint (household) - 4 sheet Large sheets of white paper - 1 roll Painter's tape (household) - Markers (optional) (household) ## Substitutions - Instead of powdered tempera: Watered-down washable kids paint (The author's suggestion for a party with concerned parents. It is less likely to stain, but the colors are less vibrant.) - Instead of powdered tempera: Liquid watercolors (The author thinks these should be easier to load because they are thinner than tempera. One reader had a hard time getting them into her squirt gun.) ## Safety - Powdered tempera stains a little, so dress kids in old clothes and paint away from anything you want to keep clean. - Aim at the paper, not at faces. Paint in the eyes or mouth is no fun, so stop play if kids start squirting each other's faces. - Adult handles the dry powdered paint and loads the squirt guns. Avoid breathing in the powder while mixing. - Paint is not for drinking. Watch younger kids who might put the squirt gun nozzle in their mouth, and wash hands after. - Supervise at all times. ## Before you start - Pick an outdoor wall or fence that can get paint on it, and dress kids in old clothes. ## Steps 1. Tape sheets of white paper to an outdoor wall with painter's tape to make your canvas. 2. Optional: write a few numbers and trace a few shapes on the paper. 3. Make paint: add water to powdered tempera in cups and stir until it is runny enough to squirt. 4. Adult: fill each squirt gun with paint, just like filling it with water. 5. Squirt paint at the canvas and watch the colors splatter and drip. 6. Optional game: call out a number, shape or color and have kids squirt it. 7. Try painting with two squirt guns at once. 8. Older kids: try squirting cool patterns across the paper. ## Tips - We tried watered-down kids paint first, but the colors weren't vibrant enough to get the kids excited. Powdered tempera fixed that, and the colors literally shined in the sun. - The kids had fun making the paint themselves by adding water to the powdered tempera. - Full disclosure: they did not pay any attention to the shapes or numbers and simply went berserk with the paint guns. The learning part is totally optional. - Of course this was bound to happen: paint your sibling. Once the canvas was full, we started squirting paint on ourselves, so plan for clothes to get painted. - It's also great for aim and hand-eye coordination. - Fill the squirt guns just like any water gun. - One reader struggled to get liquid watercolor paint into her squirt gun, so test-fill one before the kids arrive. (from readers) ## FAQ **Any tips on filling the squirt guns?** The author filled them just like any water gun. She thinks liquid watercolors should be easier than tempera because they are thinner. **Does the paint wash out of clothes?** The powdered tempera the author used does stain a little. For a party, she suggests watered-down washable kids paint instead. **Why use powdered paint instead of regular kids paint?** Paint has to be thinned with water to squirt, and that washes out the color of regular liquid paint. Powdered tempera stays vibrant. ## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013) What's summer without a good old messy backyard game? We love open-ended [**art activities**](https://www.funlittles.com/art-activity-throw-ball-painting/) which involves copious amounts of paint and today's post is no exception. An example from the past - [**spaghetti brush painting.**](https://www.funlittles.com/paint-with-spaghetti-brooms/) ### Squirt gun painting - Squirt guns - Powdered Tempera - Water We tried using watered down kids paint for this *squirt gun painting* art activity. But the colors were not vibrant enough to get the kids excited. You need to add some water to the paint so that it actually squirts. Adding water however really reduces the color factor. That's where powdered paint come into picture. The kids had fun making paint by adding water to the powdered tempera and I added the paint to our squirt guns. My preschooler helped me make these canvas for the fun water paint project. What's a canvas? Just sheets of white paper taped to our wall using painter's tape. She wrote down a few numbers and helped me trace a few shapes. I wanted this fun backyard summer art activity to also have a small dose of learning which is totally optional though. Full disclosure: they did not pay any attention to the shapes or numbers and simply went berserk with the paint guns. Ha! You could easily make this squirt gun painting into a number recognition, [**shape recognition**](https://www.funlittles.com/shapes-for-toddlers-with-contact-paper/) or [**color recognition activity**](https://www.funlittles.com/toddler-activities-summer-art-activity/). Call out the numbers and have the kids squirt paint! How simple and cool is that? It is also great for aim and hand-eye coordination. Hey look at me! I'm painting with 2 water guns! The colors were so vibrant and literally shined in the sun. The art activity was so much fun and beautiful to look at. Of course this was bound to happen. Paint your sibling. Once we exhausted the canvas space we went ahead and started squirting paint on ourselves. If you have an older child he/she can create cool patterns squirting paint. Isn't it fun and beautiful?