Summer is a great time to take the fun outside and introduce new art techniques to your preschooler. Being outside gives the freedom to be messy and makes for easy clean up. For the preschool age group creating art is about the process and exploration of art and materials. Give your preschooler time to experiment and allow them to play with the materials. Click here for more painting tips for young painters. Listed below are some awesome summer painting activities designed for this age group (although, older kids may like them too)! We hand selected these great art activities to keep you and your child having fun all summer long. We also included how you can work with your child and help develop their problem solving skills and creative thinking. Be sure to check out the bottom of our post for the details on the HUGH CASH GIVEAWAY!
PAINTING ACTIVITIES
Paint with Colored Ice | Happy Hooligans
Paint with Nature | Carrots Are Orange
Splat with Watercolors | Fun A Day
Painting with Tissue Paper | Hand Made Kids Art
Paint with Flowers | Learning for Kids
Big Art Painting | Pleasantest Thing
Drip Drop Nature Painting | Teach Preschool
Painted Seashells | Mamma.Pappa.Bubba
Erupting Ice Chalk Paint | Learn. Play. Imagine
Water Painting | Hands On As We Grow
HOW TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVE THINKING IN YOUNG ARTISTS
Creative thinking helps develop independence and problem solving skills. These are critical skills as your child grows older. You can start developing these skills even at a young age. Many times parents don’t know what to do or say beyond “good job” when completing an art activity with their child. Here are some resources of quick activities and what you can say to your child instead of “good job” to help develop their creative thinking skills.
10 Ways to Encourage Creative Thinking
10 Questions to Ask your Child About Their Art
Are You Raising a Creative Thinker?
And now for the CASH GIVE AWAY!!!
Win one of three $500 cash prizes directly in your paypal account! This giveaway is open internationally. You must be 18+ years old to enter. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Winners will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Please see detailed terms and conditions below the giveaway for more info.
Not only is the drip nature painting creative, but provides an extra opportunity to take the kids outside.
I love that I’m getting advice from a certified art instructor with kids.
Thank you for commenting! I enjoy passing along helpful art tips and projects to do at home!:)
Great round-up of SUMMER creations! Thank you!
Thank you for stopping by and commenting! 🙂
I loved the three posts on encouraging creativity. The ten questions to ask about art work was super helpful for me!
~Heather
The Meek Moose
I am glad you found it helpful! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
I love the drip paining idea. Amy would love this.
Process art is a lot of fun and builds creative confidence too! Thank you for commenting.
always enjoyed drawing and painting as a child and still do it
Me too! 🙂
Thank you so much for the thoughtful and USEFUL article!
I am so glad you found it useful! Thank you for commenting.
My kids always loved painting. Now that they’re teens and adults, they paint “for real.”
That is great! I feel it is so important to start developing creative skills at young age so they can be creative adults too! 🙂
These look like fun, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for commenting. I am glad you liked the round up! 🙂
Painting is a great activity for little folks — working on hand-eye coordination while making something pretty.
I agree hand-eye coordination is important! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Great resources for kids paining and art. I am completely non-artistic, so I never really did any art type stuff with my son, but he did quite a few projects when he was in grade school.
It’s never too late to start! We try to highlight projects that anyone can do. 🙂
What a great list of summer painting activities. I really liked the tissue paper canvas art. I love the results of the layering the tissue colors. Thank you for you inspiration.
We love working with tissue paper! Thank you for commenting.
To keep entertaining my cousin XD
Painting is a fun activity. Thank you for the chance.
We love to paint! Thank you for commenting.
I have always kept many art supplies on hand for my girls, and they are very creative children. These types of activities stretch and stimulate little minds:
I agree that art is an important way to stretch and stimulate children’s minds! Thank you for commenting.
Some really creative ideas. Love your website
Thank You! 🙂
My niece love splatting with watercolors..I would love to try the other activities with her, thanks for sharing!
Wonderful! Post to our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/handmadekidsart) or tag us on instagram (#handmadekidsart) with a photo of the artwork. We would love to see what you do. 🙂
Great ideas! I would also add kid-friendly stamps and stamp pads. Kids love making their own stationery and wrapping paper. 🙂
Great addition to the list! We love stamping too. Did you see our post on how to stamp with markers? https://innovationkidslab.com/quick-paper-craft-stamping-with-markers/ Great idea about making their own wrapping paper too. 🙂
I love the point you made on teaching children creative thinking. I think the earlier they can master this skill the sooner they can begin to develop the talents they have. I also liked the art projects.
Thank you for your comment. I agree, it is never to early to engage children in creative thinking. 🙂
congrats on the giveaway! thank you for this opportunity
You are welcome. Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Love all of the painting ideas especially the Paint with Nature | Carrots Are Orange petal painting. I had thoughts of a craft project for an adult like me for that one. Maybe something my nieces and I could do together. Thanks for sharing.
I love using nature with art. I also use these same ideas in my own artwork as well as with the kids. Thank you for sharing!
I will have to use some of these with my Girl Scouts.
Great Ideas, Now my daughter is away from first opportunities group (learning difficulties) she will have something at home to get messy with, she loves messy time lol xx
I love the drip drop nature painting. A great idea when we are at the lake for several days.
GREAT ideas! There is nothing better for a child than fueling their creativity and allowing them to explore their minds.
These are great !Thanks for sharing!
My little man love to paint. He would have a blast with the Drip Drop Nature Painting.