Splatter Painting with Kids – Crazy Good Fun for All Ages

Splatter painting is a favorite action art activity for kids of all ages! Here are tips and tricks plus ideas for what to do with the finished artworks.

Have you done splatter painting with kids? If so, you know how fun this action art activity can be.

There’s splatter painting and then there’s splatter painting. And kids like it all.

• It’s a matter of how much you flick your wrist
• How much and what kind of paint you use
• How big your canvas is
• & with how much enthusiasm you approach splatter painting.

One thing is for sure.

Splatter painting is a big-time favorite with all the kids I’ve known.

I’ve done art with many kids over the years—in weekly art groups, art classes, with my own kids, and with their friends—and everyone loves splatter painting.

Heck, I love splatter painting.

How To Do Splatter Painting with Kids 

Okay, that’s enough gushing. I’m going to share the best instructions for splatter painting with kids (you and I know there’s not much to it) as well as some tips and tricks and different ways you can do this.

• Small and big
• On paper, canvas, cardboard, forts
• With watercolors, tempera, acrylics
• With toddlers, preschoolers, big kids, adults

Plus I’ll share some ideas for what to do with your finished splatter art.

MATERIALS

• Runny paint in cups*
• Paper (or cardboard, poster board, or a bed sheet)
• Spoon or brush

*A somewhat liquid or runny paint is best for splatter painting. (All the better for splattering with, my dear.) We’ve used all different kinds, including liquid watercolors, watered-down tempera paint, and watered down or craft acrylics.

INSTRUCTIONS

First, set up for splatter painting

If you’re doing your splatter painting OUTSIDE, simply lay your paper on the ground and go at it. (We used cardboard as a sturdy surface, but it isn’t necessary.)

If you’re brave enough to do splatter painting INSIDE, I recommend covering your work surface with a drop cloth and doing it on a smaller scale (think wrist flicks instead of whole arm flicks).

Now, start splatter painting!

1. Dip your paint brush or spoon into the paint then flick your wrist to splatter the paint across the paper.
2. Continue splattering with one or more colors until you’re happy with your painting.
3. Let dry.

Experimenting with a range of splatter motion

• Experiment with brief wrist flicks or expansive wrist flicks.
• Splatter with your whole arm, upper body, or entire body.
• Try splattering close to the surface or far away.
• Try circular motions or up and down motions.

What to Do with Your Splatter Art

Now that you’ve had fun splatter painting, what will you do with your splatter art? Here are some ideas…

• Display the artwork. Hang the painting on the wall, framed or unframed.
• Make your own greeting cards (cut out small squares or rectangles from the splatter art and glue to blank cards or cardstock folded over).
• Make book covers (Here’s a tutorial for DIY notebooks).
• If you splatter painted on fabric, use it as a fort or teepee cover.
• Use the splatter art as a backdrop for a photo booth.
• Turn it into handmade wrapping paper.
• Cut triangles from the splatter art and sew, tape, or string them together into an artful bunting.

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