Things to Paint with that are NOT a Paintbrush

Are you bored with all the art projects you have been doing with your kids? Sometimes you need to change things up.

Art doesn’t have to be complicated to be fun. It may be as simple as changing up your tools.

We pulled out the paint and took on a challenge the other day. We were going to paint a picture but we couldn’t use a paintbrush.

My kids thought I was crazy but they ended up having so much fun!

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We had a blast hunting around the house for things we could use to paint and this activity honestly kept my preschooler busy for hours!

Before you start, there’s two mistakes I see parents making all the time.

I don’t want you to be one of them or you will hate the process of doing art with your kids.

First, do NOT pour paint into a bowl or cup! 

I’ve learned this the hard way. I used to use paper bowls. Ugh. Never again. They are way too easy for kids to pick up (and they will pick them up) and before you know it you have paint everywhere. That’s how you end up screaming that you will never do another art project.

It doesn’t have to be like that though. Put paint in a container that sticks to your table. I am in love with this silicone activity mat from EZPZ. I use their toddler plates all the time with my twins because they suction to the table so my twins can’t throw them on the floor.

The activity mat works in the same way but it has plenty of tiny compartments that are perfect for paint (or beads, or googly eyes, or whatever else you need for your art project).

Our EZPZ activity mat is the first thing we pull out when we are doing any sort of arts and crafts project and we can pop it in the dishwasher when we are done.

Ready for the second mistake that I see all the time?

Use good quality washable paint.

It’s a no-brainer to use washable paint with kids but not all washable paint is created equal. I’ve had plenty of stains on clothes over the years from “washable” paint.

I love the washable paint from Lakeshore Learning.

We’ve used their paint for years and never had any stains so I keep using it.

Now that we’ve covered that, you can have an awesome time with your kids. Ready to find out how to do this project?

Go to the next page to see all the crazy things we found to paint with (and a video of the process).

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