Are you looking to get outside and make some art? Here are some ideas for nature art for kids, inspired by nature or using natural items. Updated March 2024 Nature is the original paintbox. All the colors we use can be found in the natural world and all paint pigments and inks were initially made from natural materials, such as plants and stones. Nature also provides the light that informs how we see the world. And it is the primary source of artistic inspiration from time immemorial. We’ve shared outdoor art ideas for kids and our favorite garden craft ideas. But this list is all about n ..read more

Here are our favorite creative activity books for kids and families! Explore, tinker, and create with these fun books. Updated April 2024 Looking for some inspiration when it comes to making art at home? Tired of scrolling through pinterest trying to find creative activities for your kids? We’ve got just what you need! Here are our favorite activity books for kids and families, guaranteed to provide you with tons of fun and easy activities related to art, science, and more! Some are written by friends of the blog and others are personal favorites of ours. Activity Books for Kids and  ..read more

Try oil pastel painting for a fun and easy process art activity. Combine the vibrant colors and smooth application of oil pastels with baby oil for a painting effect. Updated April 2024 Painting with oil pastels and baby oil is an Artful Parent classic. It’s one of our favorite invitations to create because it’s simple to set up, relatively mess-free, and kids love it! They draw with pastels and then use a bit of baby oil to blend the colors together, creating a cool painted effect. Kids can try blending colors together, making patterns, or even drawing pictures and turning them into ‘painting ..read more

Try these 10 simple invitations to create for kids. They are easy to set up ahead of time and encourage kids to let their natural creativity flourish. Updated April 2024 Invitations to create are great for all kinds of kids, both those who are constantly making and creating and those who are less likely to make art unprompted. An invitation to create is both an opportunity to entice a child to make art, but also an opportunity to introduce a new material, technique, or activity. Art invitations are obvious and clearly defined, unlike strewing, which is a more ambiguous and subtl ..read more

Here’s our favorite arts and crafts supplies based on years of experience. The best art supplies for painting, drawing, sculpting and more! Updated October 2023 We get asked for recommendations for kids art supplies all the time. Questions such as, “What paint should I buy?” “What are the best watercolors for kids?” “What markers do you recommend?” and “Where do you get your paper?“ We have done so many different art activities and used so many different art supplies over the years with family, friends, and all of the different kids art groups and classes we’ve attended and taught. So, we’ll ..read more

Easy and fun space art ideas for little space explorers! These out-of-this-world projects are perfect for kids and astronauts of all ages. Updated April 2024 We don’t know about you, but our kids are into space right now! Pretending to be astronauts, reading and learning about space and NASA, you name it and they’re into it! And of course, you can’t explore space without creating some really cool art along the way! Here are some of our favorite space art activities. These projects are open-ended and great for a wide range of ages. Plus, they provide the opportunity for kids to learn about spac ..read more

Learn how to use paints and rubbing alcohol to make beautiful watercolor planets. Create your own mini universe with this fun art activity! My family has been on a big space kick, ever since we visited the Kennedy Space Center this winter. My kids already loved stargazing, but our visit took things to the next level. Now we are deep into all things space. Naturally, we’ve also done lots of art exploration to go along with this newfound interest and this was easily one of our favorite space art projects. If you’ve never added rubbing alcohol to a watercolor picture, you’ve got to try it! The al ..read more

Here are 30 fun and creative spring activities for kids including flower craft ideas, nature art, garden activities, and spring treats! Updated February 2024 It’s spring! The leaves are unfurling, the flowers are blooming, birds are building nests and gardens are growing. It’s time to get outside and enjoy the spring weather. And it’s time to explore spring colors and themes through arts and crafts activities. We know how busy you are, though, so we’ve made it easy for you. We’ve compiled a list of 30 spring activities for your family to pick and choose from, including nature crafts, outdoor ..read more

Create fun Easter art with Peep painting! This simple yet engaging process art activity allows kids to use marshmallow bunnies as stamps, creating vibrant and colorful prints. This time of year, we tend to have some extra sweets at our house. Usually in the form of several boxes of Peeps. You know, those sweet and sugary marshmallow chicks and bunnies? Well, this year, we tried using those Peeps to make some art, rather than just snacking on them! The result were some super cute and colorful bunny prints, sprinkled with some glittery ‘sugar’ and perfect for tucking in an Easter basket or gift ..read more

Paint colorful paper Easter eggs with watercolor resist art for a simple and easy craft your kids will love to make! Photo updates by Andrea Martelle Updated February 2024 Want an easy yet lovely Easter egg art activity to do with your kids? Oil pastel resist is one of our favorite watercolor resist techniques, and probably the one we use most commonly. So, we tried an Easter themed version of it as an art invitation for our kids to do after school.  Here’s how they used it to paint Easter egg after Easter egg. Photo by Andrea MartelleHow to Paint Paper Easter Eggs MATERIALS Waterco ..read more