Kids love finger painting, but parents hate the mess. To solve this problem, watch the video above for an easy hack using paint and plastic bags. We guarantee this mess-free solution will keep your tiny tot occupied for hours.
If you don’t mind the mess, flip through the slideshow below for more ways your little one can have fun with paint.
19 Weird And Wonderful Ways To Paint
(01 of20)
Frozen Popsicle Chalk(02 of20)
Mix up a batch of homemade sidewalk chalk using cornstarch, water and tempera paint. Pour into popsicle moulds and freeze for fun paints with a built-in handle.Get the instructions: Reading Confetti (credit:Reading Confetti)
Cling Film Art(03 of20)
Squirt a few different colours of paint onto a piece of cardstock and cover it with plastic wrap. The kids can smush, squish and smear the paint around the page without getting messy fingers! Remove the plastic carefully when done and let dry.Get the instructions: Craft Ideas For Kids (credit:Craft Ideas For Kids)
Bath Pouf Apple Tree(04 of20)
A mesh bath pouf makes a unique stamping pattern when it’s dipped into paint. Use it to make trees, fluffy monsters or whatever else your child dreams up!Get the instructions: Crafty Morning (credit:Crafty Morning)
Rain Painting(05 of20)
Let Mother Nature help the kids with their art projects by taking craft time outside on a drizzly day. Experiment with watercolour paints, crayons and food colouring on watercolour paper to see what designs raindrops create.Get the instructions: Housing A Forest (credit:Housing A Forest)
Have A Ball(06 of20)
Kids will have a blast throwing balls and squishy toys that have been dipped in watered-down paint into a box! This is an especially great project for energetic little artists.Get the instructions: Kids Play Box (credit:Kids Play Box)
Skittles Paint(07 of20)
Dissolve Skittles in clear corn syrup to make sweet, glossy paints that smell delicious. Allow a few hours for the Skittles to dissolve before starting your project.Get the instructions: Mama Papa Buba (credit:Mama Papa Buba)
DIY Paintbrushes(08 of20)
Make your own unique paintbrushes out of clothespins and items such as pompoms, feathers, leaves, yarn and felt.Get the instructions: Parenting Chaos (credit:Parenting Chaos)
Pendulum Painting(09 of20)
Use string to hang a Styrofoam cup from a suspended broom handle. Poke a hole in the bottom of the cup and add diluted paint in it. Let the kids experiment with swinging the cup to create different patterns on the paper below. Use washable sidewalk paint to try this art project outside.Get the instructions: Handmade Kids Art (credit:Handmade Kids Art)
Sharpie Tie-Dye(10 of20)
Colour a piece of clear plastic or white fabric with different coloured Sharpie permanent markers. Add rubbing alcohol using a dropper and watch the colours blend together. Let dry, and seal plastic projects with a light spray of varnish. Set fabric projects in a hot dryer for 15-minutes after completely dry.Get the instructions: Happy Hooligans (credit:Happy Hooligans)
Wind-Up Toy Painting(11 of20)
My kids love to watch wind-up toys hop around — for about five minutes! Extend the fun by using the hopping critters to spread paint around a page to make abstract art.Get the instructions: Tutus & Tea Parties (credit:Tutus & Tea Parties)
Washable Spray Paint(12 of20)
Fill spray bottles with washable spray chalk, made by mixing cornstarch, baking soda and washable watercolour paint. The kids will have fun spraying the sidewalks with colour. Before the paint gets washed away, let them squirt vinegar on their designs to see how the two solutions interact. Get the instructions: Growing A Jeweled Rose (credit:Growing A Jeweled Rose)
Starburst Finger Paint(13 of20)
Melt Starburst candies with water and cornstarch in a pot on the stove to create yummy smelling finger paints!Get the instructions: Learn Play Imagine (credit:Learn Play Imagine)
Stuffie Prints(14 of20)
Preserve the memory of a treasured stuffie who has seen better days by spraying it lightly with white paint and stamping onto dark paper.Get the instructions: Pinterest (credit:Pinterest)
Erupting Art(15 of20)
Create colourful volcano explosions onto paper by mixing sprite, tempera paint, and Mentos candies.Get the instructions: Learn Play Imagine (credit:Learn Play Imagine)
Milk Art(16 of20)
Pour a thin layer of milk (2% or higher) onto a dinner plate and add drops of food colouring. Add drops of dish soap into the middle of the food colouring and watch the patterns as the milk and soap react.Get the instructions: Flutter Flutter (credit:Flutter Flutter)
Bubble Wrap Stomp Painting(17 of20)
Popping bubble wrap is super fun for kids. Combine that joy with paint to make an art project that the children won’t be able to resist!Get the instructions: Mess For Less (credit:Mess For Less)
Exploding Chalk Paint Art(18 of20)
Fill sandwich bags with a mixture of cornstarch, vinegar and liquid watercolour paint. Add a baking soda bomb to each bag, seal, and place on the sidewalk. Watch as the bags expand and pop, creating beautiful colours on the pavement.Get the instructions: Growing A Jeweled Rose (credit:Growing A Jeweled Rose)
Spaghetti Broom Painting(19 of20)
Permission to play with their food is exciting for kids. Make spaghetti brooms to use instead of paintbrushes and let them swish the paint-covered noodles around the page.Get the instructions: Kids Play Box (credit:Kids Play Box)
Kool-Aid Ice Painting(20 of20)
Mix Kool-Aid powder with water in an ice cube tray and freeze. Use them to paint yummy-smelling pictures on paper outside. It’s a great way for little artists to stay cool on a hot day and parents don’t have to worry if they sneak a taste or two.Get the instructions: Growing A Jeweled Rose (credit:Growing A Jeweled Rose)