This circle art project is a great open-ended art activity for kids with new tools, materials, and techniques added as interest demands.
Updated June 2025
We did a group art activity inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, and it turned into something truly special. What started as a simple invitation to paint, stamp, and draw circles on a large piece of paper quickly evolved in ways I never expected. We let the process lead us, and the results were both joyful and surprising.
Have you ever started an art project without knowing exactly where it was headed? That’s the beauty of process art—when you let go of specific outcomes and give kids the freedom to explore, amazing things can happen.
To set it up, we taped a couple of large sheets of paper to our kitchen table, laid out some watercolors, colored pencils, and a few round objects for tracing.
Then we curled up on the couch to read The Dot together. While the book is more about creative confidence than literal circles, it was the perfect jumping-off point for this open-ended exploration.
Circle Art For Kids

MATERIALS
INSTRUCTIONS
- Trace circle shapes
First we traced plates and bowls and cups using both colored pencils and watercolors.
- Add watercolor dots & circles
Then we added some free-form watercolor dots and circles. Then we got out the compass and the kids tried their hand at it.
Friends joined us for parts of the day, adding their own circles and marks. - Print additional circles with household objects
A citrus juicer that I had put on the table to trace made great prints (a discovery by the 4 year old) which then led to more circle printmaking with sponges, buttons, a circle foam piece, and a couple of circle-shaped stamps.
- Splatter painting
Finally some drippy brushes inspired (modest) splatter painting for small dots and circles.

When we began, we had no idea that what we thought could be a simple art activity would turn into an all day affair (off and on) with so much experimenting with different art techniques and tools.
The moral of the story is to stay open to art surprises.
Open ended art activities for kids provide important learning experiences and are wonderful simply for enjoying the process of art making. Even if you’re following a specific art or craft project tutorial, though, be open to experimenting and going with the flow.
Have you had the experience of starting an art activity with your kids and having it evolve in ways you didn’t expect?
More Process Art Activities for Kids
- What is Process Art?
- 7 Simple Arts and Crafts Ideas for Toddlers
- Our Favorite Kids’ Process Art Accounts on Instagram
- 11 Painting Art Activities for Preschoolers
- The Best Action Art Painting Activities for Kids
- The Best Kids’ Art Ideas for 2025
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