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Spark your child’s creativity with these incredible art projects for kids

Fun and easy art projects to do at home with your children

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Mother with child using art supplies
Oksana Kuzmina / Shutterstock

With summer vacation on the horizon (or already here for some), it’s a wonderful idea to have art projects for kids on hand. Even though children and teens highly anticipate time off from the rigors of school and extracurricular activities, it doesn’t take long for boredom to creep in. It’s also the time when kids go right for their smartphones and other devices.

Art projects for kids are a perfect way to not only ignite a bit of creativity, but also to help your children recharge their batteries. Engaging in art projects and other creative hobbies, like knitting or crochet, has many health benefits, including stress relief. Kids can do art at home without having to head to a studio. Art projects also don’t have to be complicated or pricey. They’re an ideal way to spend a lazy summer afternoon, a rainy day, or any day when you have time to get those creative juices flowing.

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Art projects for kids

Young girl having fun doing an art project
Natalie / Pexels

Children can complete many craft projects with items you already have in your house. If not, a trip to the dollar store can often give you the necessary materials you need to encourage your kiddos to explore their creative side. Art projects aren’t just for little ones, either. Older kids, tweens, and teens enjoy art projects as well, though they probably show less excitement than younger kids.

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Lots of art projects revolve around seasons and holidays, but sometimes, you just want to let kids see where the activity takes them. Here are five fun and simple art projects to keep on hand for a family art night, an art-themed birthday party, or just because.

Sponge painting

This is a hands-on art activity that lets kids explore their creative sides. All you need to sponge paint is finger paints, finger paint paper, and sponges. Sponges are sold in all different shapes and sizes, but you can also just cut up old sponges into cool shapes.

If you want to keep the hands relatively clean, put clothespins on the end of each sponge. Next, make up paper plates with the various paint colors. Cover the painting surface with a plastic tablecloth from a dollar store for easy cleanup. Sponge painting can be done indoors or out, but it’s a cool outdoor art activity, especially in the summer.

Water soaker painting

An art activity earmarked for a warm summer day is painting with water soakers. All you need is some of those dollar store water soakers and paint. Water the paint down before filling up the soaker. Hang up finger paint paper and let kids have at it. Once their creations are done, allow them to dry in the sun. To avoid mixing colors, you can use one water soaker per color.

Nature collages

Kids love to pick up leaves, flowers, shells, rocks, sticks, and more, wherever they go. Instead of leaving their haul in Ziploc bags in the garage, turn their unique collections into a collage by gluing them onto a piece of paper. Another awesome project is to take a photo and make a nature frame for it using shells or rocks.

Coffee filter painting

There are actually quite a lot of art projects you can do with coffee filters. Kids just love coffee filter painting. To get creative with coffee filters, be sure to use water-based markers. Permanent markers won’t work. For a simple project, have kids draw whatever they feel inspired to do with markers. Then, place the colorful coffee filter on a piece of cardboard or cardstock paper.

With a spray bottle, wet the coffee filter with water. Allow it to dry before attempting to take the coffee filter off of the paper. Once dry, kids will now have two projects: a colorful design left on the paper and the coffee filter. Painted coffee filters can be cut up and used to make collages or even flowers. All you need is a green pipe cleaner to form a stem.

Create salt painting wrapping paper

A super fun, creative, and reusable art project for kids is salt painting. Using watercolor paint, have kids paint a piece of paper with the color or colors of their choice. While the paper is still wet, sprinkle salt on top. Let the paper dry completely. Then, remove any excess salt. The finished product is an awesome unique design. Salt paintings can be used for wrapping paper or to cover cardboard containers. The colorful cardboard containers can be used as desk organizers.

More fun art projects for kids

family building crafts
Flamingo Images / Shutterstock

Having art supplies on hand like construction paper, tissue paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints, pipe cleaners, sidewalk chalk, and more is always a plus. These items are easy to use to make creative art projects when kids are bored or inclement weather cancels outdoor plans. Here are some additional easy art projects kids can do any time of the year.

  • Rip up pieces of construction paper or tissue paper and make a mosaic collage or picture
  • Pressed flowers (cover the pages of a book with paper before placing flowers in the middle)
  • Paint shells or rocks
  • Cupcake liner flowers
  • Marble painting
  • Friendship bracelets
  • Create sidewalk chalk paintings

Engaging in art projects has so many positive benefits for kids. Art encourages kids to use their imagination and be creative. Getting artistic with projects also works fine motor and critical thinking skills. Art can be therapeutic, too, which is why getting creative isn’t just for kids.

These simple art projects are wonderful to do on a family fun night or when kids have some downtime. Summer is the ideal time to get creative. Art projects for kids are an ideal way to help kids and teens recharge their batteries after a busy school year of academics and extracurriculars. Adults may enjoy embracing their creative side, too.

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Dawn Miller
Dawn Miller
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Dawn Miller began her professional life as an elementary school teacher before returning to her first love, writing. In…
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