Create unique blot art for Valentine’s Day with symmetry painting. Kids of all ages, especially toddlers, LOVE this process art activity!
Updated January 2023
Have you’ve tried some version of blot art with your kids?
You may also know it as blotto painting, smush painting (with or without string), or symmetry painting. No matter what you call it, though, it’s a super fun art activity.
Symmetry painting is when you add a few drops of paint to one side of a piece of paper, fold the second side over the paint, and press the paint sandwich together with your hands. Then, when you open up the folded paper?
Voila! You have a unique and symmetrical design of squished paint.
This is a huge hit with toddlers and preschoolers but I have to tell you that old kids (and, ahem, so-called adults) love it, too.
There are lots of fun variations for this art activity, but we recently made heart symmetry paintings since Valentine’s Day is around the corner. They’re so pretty!
Be sure to check out our YouTube video all about symmetry painting! And keep scrolling for instructions on how to try this at home!
Blot Art Hearts
MATERIALS
- Sturdy paper
- Tempera paint in 2 or more colors (we also love these neon colors for this project!)
- Paint brush or spoon for each paint color
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut out paper hearts
First, cut your paper into hearts of any size. Fold a sheet of paper in half and cut half a heart along the fold. Open to reveal your full heart paper.
We used a combination of white paper and recycled paper bags for our hearts.
- Add paint
Use a paintbrush or spoon to add drops of paint to one side of the heart paper.
- Fold and squish
Carefully fold the second half of the heart paper over the paint and press. Squish the paint sandwich all over with your hands.
- Reveal your symmetry painting!
Open up the heart to reveal your interesting and unique symmetrical heart art!
You can even use the paint colors to make an ombre heart.
- Repeat!
We’ve found that blot art is always a hit, no matter what age. So, your kids will probably keep going until you run out of paint!
- Dry your hearts
Hang your hearts or lay them out to dry fully. Here are our heart paintings, along with some bubble wrap printed hearts we did, too. Don’t they look great?!
You can make your hearts as small or as big as you like. A bunch of little ones would work well for class Valentines, for example. And we are positive your child would happily make 20 or so of these!
People Also Ask:
- What is blot art? Blot art is when you add a few drops of paint to one side of a piece of paper, fold the other side of the paper over the paint, and press the paper together with your hands. When you open the paper up, you have a unique symmetrical design in paint!
- What is squish art? Squish art is another name for this symmetrical painting activity. Folding the paper causes the paint to ‘squish’ together, creating a fun design! It is also called smush art or blotto art.
- How do you make a butterfly symmetry painting? Cut a piece of paper into the shape of a butterfly, then add some blobs of paint to one side of the wings, fold over and smush the paper together. Open the folded paper to reveal your beautiful butterfly!
More Valentine Arts & Crafts for Kids
- 12 Process Art Ideas for Valentine’s Day Projects for Kids
- 30 Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids (with Printable List!)
- How to Make DIY Valentines for Kids with Cardboard Hearts
- 19 Easy Valentine’s Crafts for Kids
- How to Make Faux Stained-Glass Valentines with Black Glue
- Splatter Painting with Kids (cut splatter paintings into hearts for easy valentines!)
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