Paint Projects with Learning Opportunities
Creating Family,  Custom Creations,  DIY

5 Paint Projects for Toddlers (with Learning Opportunites)

September 12, 2018 / 60 Comments

Painting is a fun activity for toddlers that is full of learning opportunities. It gives toddlers the chance to express themselves and explore their imagination. Creativity is something that needs to be nurtured and encouraged. I have known many parents that avoid paint because they are afraid of the mess. However, paint is such a great sensory experience for toddlers so it’s a great activity to include.

Califf Creations was supplied with a free copy of The Craft Kingdom in exchange for an honest review. This by no means influenced the review.

This includes affiliate links. That means that if you purchase through these links that Califf Creations will receive compensation that is of no extra cost to you. This helps cover the costs of Califf Creations.

There are so many great washable paints to use that clean off carpets and clothing so easily. Crayola’s Kids Paints are my favorite. My son has spilled it on the floor and all over his shirts and you would never be able to tell after cleaning!

These five projects are great for teaching kids various skills and principles. Paint is great for teaching colors. While your toddler paints, name each color they use and try and get them to name the colors as well. Finger painting is great for sensory input and using a brush is perfect for fine motor control. These projects are sure to be a hit with your toddler and have them learning through their play!

Color Mixing

Paint
Paper

Place a small dot of red, yellow, and blue paint on a piece of paper. Have your toddler identify the three colors and then demonstrate how to use their fingers to mix each color together to create something new. It’s important to narrate everything so that they understand why they are mixing the colors. As you mix the colors together, label the new colors as well.

Color Mixing Paint Project to Teach Toddlers

Blue + Yellow = Green
Blue + Red = Purple
Red + Yellow = Orange

Color Mixing Paint Project to Teach Toddlers

After mixing all the colors together, your toddler will have a nice circle that shows each color of the rainbow! What a great way to learn color mixing and color identification!

Color Mixing Paint Project to Teach Toddlers

Texture Painting

This is a project that you can really have a lot of fun with. There are so many different textures that you can play with. This adds another level of sensory input to painting. Exploring textures is such a wonderful way to learn. It’s possible to do this with a bunch of different objects. Anything that creates a unique texture is perfect for painting and exploring.

For a mess-free version, check out my Tupperware Painting Project.

Texture Painting Project #1 – String

Paint
Paper
Paint Roller – or another cylindrical object
String

Texture Paint Project to Teach Toddlers

Wrap the string around the roller and secure it. Roll it around in some paint and then let your toddler roll it on paper to see the effect it makes. Allow them to touch the roller and explore the texture with their hands as well. While they play with this, explain how the bumps they feel on the roller are making the effect they see on the paper.

Texture Paint Project to Teach Toddlers

Texture Painting Project #2 – Sponge

Paint
Paper
Sponge

Texture Paint Project to Teach Toddlers

Sponge painting is a lot of fun and is really easy. All you do is put some paint on the sponge and then press it onto the paper. Simple! You can use both sides of the sponge to explore the difference in texture between the two. It is also fun, for an older child, to cut out shapes in the sponge before painting to create yet another effect.

Texture Paint Project to Teach Toddlers

Texture Painting Project #3 – Hot Wheels

Paint
Paper
Hot Wheels (or other toy cars)

This is a really fun project. All you do is roll the wheels of a toy car in some paint and then roll the car on some paper. Using multiple cars with different types of wheels is a great way to demonstrate textures. Use some with big wheels and some with small wheels to show the principles of big and small. My son loves this project! It’s so much fun to push a car around and see the tracks. We used this technique to create a unique personalized letter for his bedroom door that he can be proud of.

Personalized, Letters, Kids, Room, Transportion, Peter Pan, Disney, DIY, painting, decor, door, decorate, road, car, hot wheels, Tinkerbell

Painting Rocks

Paint
Paintbrush
Rocks

This project is fun and has a benefit of honing fine motor skills by using a paint brush. Learning to control and be gentle with a paintbrush is an important skill that will ultimately help with writing skills later on. I love keeping these painted rocks and using them to decorate my garden, which is why I recommend acrylic paint for this project. Dip the paintbrush in the acrylic paint, and then let them paint the rocks! Show them how to rotate the rocks to paint all sides. When they are done, you have a beautiful little decoration to put outside!

Rock Paint Project for Teaching Toddlers

Paint Pouring

Paint
Glass Jar

This is a great project to upcycle glass jars. Clean out a glass jar after finishing whatever food or sauce was held in it. Then pour a small amount of paint into the bottom. Allow your toddler to rotate the jar and watch the paint move around. Explain about how the paint always travels downwards (toward the ground) no matter how they move the jar. This is a great demonstration of the principle of gravity! When you are done, let the paint dry and you have a unique little glass container that you can use as a vase.

Paint Projects with Learning Opportunities

Stamp Painting

Paint
Paper
Stamps

Stamps are a lot of fun and a great way to learn about shapes. Dipping the stamp in paint and then stamping it on paper, you can label what each stamp shows. I’ve done this with basic shapes, letters, numbers, and pictures. Whatever the stamp shows, say what it is so that your toddler learns each one.

Stamp Paint Project for Teaching Toddlers

You can also make your own stamps out of lots of different materials, like erasers. This is a cheap way to make a lot of different shapes and older kids can experiment with cutting them out themselves.

I got a lot of my inspiration from the book The Craft Kingdom by Eli Maor. This book has a lot of ideas for painting as well as other crafts from soap making to crafting with nature. Each of these crafts provides a different learning opportunity for kids and toddlers. The book is organized by subject and has detailed instructions on various quick craft projects. They are all really easy and affordable. You can either craft the projects as shown in The Craft Kingdom or use them as inspiration to create your own unique piece of art.

Paint Projects with Learning Opportunities

Lucy At Home UK gentle parenting blogger

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Lucy At Home UK gentle parenting blogger