These DIY art books for kids are a wonderful way to store and display kids’ art for you to enjoy over and over again. Updated April 2024 As an art teacher, I am constantly introducing young children to new process-based art techniques, like salt painting, printmaking, and collage. Sometimes we have piles of art looking for a home. You probably have the same problem at your home! Making art books with young children is like an active art portfolio you can enjoy over and over again. It’s a great coffee table book and a wonderful way to share your child’s artwork all contained in one space ..read more

Here are 10 fun and easy ideas for Spring sensory bins for kids. These bins offer a fun and exploratory way to engage kids’ senses and enjoy the sights and sounds of Spring! Sensory play is fun AND important for kids’ development. Here at the Artful Parent, we like to gather sensory bin ideas for every season and holiday and share them with you! Some ideas come from Instagram, and some come from our own experiences. Either way, these hands-on activities offer colorful, textured fun that engages kids’ senses and sparks creativity. Springtime is a great time to bring the sensory play outside, to ..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

Discover the magic of the cosmos with these children’s books about space! They’re full of amazing pictures and interesting facts about stars, planets, and rockets, perfect for sparking a love of space in young minds. Looking to spark your child’s curiosity about the universe? Dive into our curated list of the best children’s books about space! These books, both fiction and nonfiction, will take young readers on an out-of-this-world adventure, exploring planets, stars, and the vastness of space. Whether your kids dream of becoming an astronaut or simply love gazing at the stars, these books are ..read more

Learn how to paint butterflies with this fun and easy symmetry method. A perfect process art activity for kids of all ages! Updated March 2024 We all love symmetry painting, right? Kids love it. It’s easy, fun, and the result is unique every time. These symmetry paintings are also known by many other names. Some people call them inkblot prints, blotto painting or prints, smash art, smush art, squish painting, and more. Regardless of the name, what could be more perfect for painting butterflies?! They turn out beautifully every time! Here’s a video of the butterfly painting art activity in acti ..read more

Here are some of our favorite watercolor ideas for kids. These projects are easy, fun for a variety of ages, and produce lovely works of art! Updated April 2024 Watercolors are easily one of our top favorite art materials for little kids! We use liquid watercolors and watercolor palettes. We also love these tempera paint pods that act like a watercolor (they’re pricey but the pods are large and last forever!). See also: The Best Paints for Kids For paper, we like watercolor paper, which is thick and doesn’t warp with the watercolors. If you want to get fancy, try this circular pad of watercolo ..read more

How to make clay leaf prints with air dry clay. This easy nature craft project is fun for kids and creates a beautiful ornament or pendant to hang. Updated April 2024 We love making leaf prints, whether on fabric, paper, clay, or even plaster of paris. The process is so satisfying, and the results capture the natural beauty of leaves. One of the easiest and most lovely ways to make leaf prints is with air dry clay. You can use these clay leaf prints for ornaments, pendants, or as gifts. Here’s how we made these beautiful prints. First, here’s a video tutorial, then we’ll give you the step-by-s ..read more

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