Painting for Kids: Easy Painting Ideas for Little Artists of All Ages

Kids love painting, but its versatility as an activity can sometimes leave parents wondering where to begin. Plus, it can be difficult to tell which painting activity might be right for them in terms of age and ability.

Whether your little one is just starting to experiment with squelching paint between their fingers, or if you already have a mini Picasso on your hands, this guide to painting activities for kids will keep the whole family entertained (and your kitchen colourfully adorned).

Hand painting for toddlers and babies

Hand painting has got to be one of the easiest painting ideas for all aspiring maestros to start with. It's messy, sensory, a great painting activity for toddlers and young babies to experiment with colour and texture. There are no rules (except to aim for the paper, rather than the walls), but as they familiarise themselves with the different colours you can start showing them how mixing creates lots of different shades.

Thick, gloopy paints are the most fun to play with, and one that washes out of clothes is a sensible choice (especially if you can get some help with the laundry afterwards.). Tidiness isn’t the objective here, but it’s always helpful to keep some good absorbent toilet tissue, like Cushelle on hand to wipe fingers and spillages.

Stamp and cutter painting ideas for younger kids

As young children begin to develop their fine motor skills, kids' painting activities can start to involve different objects and apparatus to keep them stimulated and experimenting. They might not be interested in paintbrushes quite yet, but they’ll love using different shaped sponges, packaging, stamps and cookie cutters to create different colourful shapes.

Cushelle toilet rolls are great for rolling out paint and stamping circles onto paper, and kitchen sponges can be cut into a variety of shapes such as hearts and trees. But don’t limit yourself to the household for inspiration: go for a walk to and collect leaves, twigs and stones to use as stamps and stencils.

Face mask painting for 5 year olds

As kids begin to reach school age, they’ll start to enjoy depicting the things they see around them, whether that might be a face, a pet, objects around the house, or even characters from their imagination. You can encourage this interest by pointing out and bringing them simple subjects which will make easy paintings for kids to attempt.

One simple painting idea to nurture their replicating skills is by helping them to paint a face mask. You can do this by cutting a face shape out of card and attaching elastic to either side.

Guide them through painting the skin and the facial features with a paintbrush, helping them to think about where they go and what colour and shape they are. Face masks are a great option for fancy dress, and especially for Halloween: when you put the mask on and look more like Peppa Pig than mum or dad, they’ll learn to improve the likeness!

Easy painting ideas for older kids

Once kids have learned how to master colour and paintbrushes, and their paintings have started to represent a likeness to their subjects (well, sort of!), it’s time to add some texture and three-dimensionality to your kid's painting activities.

Below are three painting ideas for beginner artists to help them refine their skills:

1.Texture and shape

Give an interesting texture to the painting surface by tearing up bits of toilet paper and gluing it onto the paper in fun patterns and shapes. You can then paint over the top to give the objects a 3D effect. Use a strong and absorbent toilet paper that will hold together even when it’s soaked in glue and paint, like Cushelle.

2. Paper mache

Get sculptural by making some paper mache shapes. Mix ¾ white PVA glue and ¼ of water, dipping in strong tissue (we like Cushelle facial tissues) and craft into shape. Keep a box of tissues on the table so that it’s easy to grab them – even with sticky fingers. Leave the shapes to dry before letting loose with the paint (acrylic works well here), to create patterns and details.

3. Egg shell painting

Another option is to make characters or pretty decorations out of egg shells. To drain an egg, poke the end of a needle into the top of an egg. Carefully turn the egg around and make a larger hole at the bottom. Blow into the top of the egg until it is empty. Once it’s fully drowned, your child can decorate the outside with a paint brush.

Egg shell painting is an especially good painting idea for Easter. For more inspiration, have a look at our article on Easter crafts.

4. The most important part: cleaning up!

Painting activities for kids are some of the most fun and expressive, but they’re also the messiest. Let them know it’s not just mum and dad’s job to clean up after painting time by encouraging them to wipe up after themselves using a moistened kitchen towel that’s strong when wet. Make it into a fun race against the clock by seeing if they can get everything done before the paint dries.

From painting for toddlers to those just starting to refine their craft, hopefully we’ve armed you with enough tips to encourage those creative juices. For more craft ideas and fun activity inspiration, have a look at our full list of articles. Or if your little artists have reached the later stages of their masterpieces, help them clean up after themselves with our products.