Kids' Art Projects that Inspire Creativity

Marble Painting

The combination of a marble and paint creates a wonderful criss-crossing pattern that is never the same twice.

Materials:

Shallow cardboard box (a soda flat works well)

Paper

Plastic spoons

Paper cups

Marbles

Tempera paints

Instructions:

1. Cover your work area with newspaper.
2. Place paper in bottom of box.
3. Pour about two tablespoons of paint into each cup, along with a marble.
4. Using the plastic spoon, stir the marble around to coat it with paint. Scoop it up and place it onto the paper in the box. Have your artist tilt and turn the box, causing the marble to roll around on the paper leaving a paint trail. Dip the marble into paint as necessary.
5. Repeat with additional colors if desired.

Wet-on-Wet Watercolor

With this technique, watching the paint as it flows across the paper is almost as fun as seeing the end result.

Materials:

Watercolor paper

Liquid watercolors in several colors

Small watercolor brushes

A shallow tray, such as a jelly roll pan

Disposable paint cups or old muffin tins

Instructions:

1. Cover your work surface with newspaper.
2. Cut watercolor paper to fit tray if necessary.
3. Fill tray with one-fourth to one-half inch of water.
4. Soak watercolor paper in water for five to 10 minutes.
5. While paper is soaking, fill each paint cup with about teaspoon of the liquid watercolor.
6. Place wet paper onto newspaper-covered surface, allowing it to drain for a minute or two.
7. Dip paintbrush into watercolor and then onto wet paper. Use bold strokes or tiny ones, many colors or one. As the colors hit the paper, they will flow and bleed together creating a beautiful piece of art every time.

Texture Tricks

Create touch-feely artwork with this unique technique.

Materials:

Wallpaper paste

Liquid tempera paints

Cardboard from empty cereal boxes

Scissors

Chopsticks

Butcher paper

Disposable containers

Instructions:

1. Cover your work surface with newspaper.
2. In a large bowl, mix wallpaper paste according to package directions.
3. Put about one cup of the paste in several smaller containers and mix a different color into each.
4. Cut cardboard into "combs" of different sizes by notching one edge.
5. Use small, un-notched pieces of cardboard to apply paste to paper in a picture or random design.
6. Run the cardboard combs through the colored paste. Fine lines can be added with the chopsticks. Pulling the combs in different directions or using different sized combs with different colors creates amazing textures, shapes and lines.