10+ Messy Art Activities for Large Groups

Our home school co-op threw the best messy art day this summer. We had so much fun, I just have to share all our ideas! These activities are wonderful as stand alone sensory messy art experiences, but would be even more fun with a group or as a birthday party.

So, go invite some friends over, pull out the old clothes cause it’s time to get MESSY!

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SUPPLY LIST

Paint (I adore this set from crayola, the paint has soap in it so it’s super washable)
Craft Paper Rolls (This roll is a wonderful size that can be cut to the sizes you need)
Aluminum Foil
Paint Brushes
Shaving Cream
Food Coloring
Large Box or Small Pool
Watermelon (or small fruits like oranges and avocado)
Water Guns
Bubble Wrap
Salad Spinner
Cornstarch
Sugar
Clear Shower Curtain
Bottles with Squeeze Lids
Turkey Baster or Eye Droppers
Squeegee
Small Playground Balls
Cardboard (Large boxes that can be cut apart)
Plunger
Funnels
Small Canvases
Bowls or Small Plates for Paint (these foam plates make for an easy cleanup!)
Trays (this size is great for holding projects)

Watermelon Roll

This turned into one of our favorite activities! If you notice, we taped pool noodles along the edge of our paper so the fruit wouldn’t roll away! This step is completely optional but worthwhile if you are inside. Children will dip fruits in paint and then roll along the paper!

Painting with Feet

Another well loved project was feet painting. We did this two ways, one time with bare feet and another time with bubble wrap. Place a chair and paint on one side of the taped paper and a tub with water and a towel on the other. Helped your child dip her feet in the paint and then walk to the other side. If you’re using bubble wrap have your child sit down while you wrap bubble wrap around their feet. You’ll need to tape it loosely around her ankles. Repeat the process!

Cornstarch Gel Paint

Following the recipe from Tinkerlab we used our hands to smush around some messy gel paint!

Ball Rolling

If you have a large box with high sides, this ball rolling game is fun for a cooperative painting experience! You could also use a small kiddie pool or use a smaller box for an individual painting.

Tape a piece of paper inside a box along with balls of all shapes and sizes. Roll the balls in paint or drop blobs of paint on the paper. Have children hold the box while tipping it back and forth to get the balls to move around the paint. This becomes hilarious to watch!

Squirt Painting with Cornstarch Paint

I have made cornstarch paint in various forms and have never really followed a recipe! For squirt painting you want it thin enough to fit through bottle lids but thick enough to be used as paint. I suggest mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch, one or two squirts of food coloring, and 1/4 cup of water in a bottle. Shake and then squirt onto cardboard or an old paper bag!

Spin Art

Do you have an old salad spinner that you don’t use? Have you ever used it to make art? You’ll need to cut pieces of paper into small strips that will fit inside comfortably. Have your child drop some paint inside and then spin!

Drip Painting

We wanted an art work that our kids could take home on a small canvas. We watered down some paint in small bowls so it could run through the funnels easier. This takes a little adult supervision to pour paint while moving the funnel around. The end product is pretty cool!

Shaving Cream Paint

I love giving kids the chance to use tools in different ways on unexpected mediums. Aluminum foil makes a fun canvas that adds another sensory experience to painting with shaving cream! You can easily mix shaving cream with a few drops of food coloring to create the desired color. We ended up taking this tray outside to paint on an easel.

Painting with a Plunger

A Plunger is one of my all time favorite unexpected painting tools! It’s as simple as you think. Have your child dip a (clean and new!) plunger in paint and then push it onto paper!

Water Gun and Squeegee Painting

This is the ultimate in messy art! Using the cornstarch paint recipe I shared above we mixed a few colors in buckets, gave the kids water guns, and an easel! When they were done, the kids use the squeegee to clean their canvas.