Are you looking for some fun outdoor art activities kids can enjoy as the weather gets warmer?  

Mud painting is perfect for those rainy days of spring. 

It’s also fun in the summer as part of your very own backyard summer camp.

Affiliate links have been used in this post.  Read my full disclosure here. 

Warmer weather is the perfect time to get outside to do some messy art.   

Over the years we’ve had fun doing splat painting and my son’s favorite, painting with trucks.

Painting with mud has become our new favorite.  

It’s no surprise this process art activity can get a little messy.  Find a shady place outside to get artistic and the mess can all be hosed away when finished.

How to Make Mud Paint

Wondering how to make mud paint?

It’s super easy!  All it takes is the willingness to get a little dirty and to have fun.

You’ll also need:  dirt, water, food coloring, a few plastic cups and craft sticks.

To make your own paint, grab your shovel and head out to the yard to get some dirt.  You will want 1/3 cup of dirt for each color of dirt paint you wish to make.

To make a smoother paint, with less lumps in it, dump the dirt onto a hard, flat surface and use the back of your shovel to smash up the clumps.

Scoop 1/3 cup dirt into each cup.

Then add just a little bit of water to each cup and stir with a craft stick. 

You want the mud paint to be the consistency of pudding.  If it is too runny you can pour off a bit of water or add a little more soil.

Leave one cup plain.  This will be your brown paint.

To make different mud paint colors, squeeze 10+ drops of food coloring into each of the other cups. 

We found that blue, green, and red worked the best.  (The grey color paint we used is actually just creek clay mixed with water — which was a whole new feel compared to the mud paint!)

Stir thoroughly with a craft stick.   

Mud Painting

For painting with mud, you will want some thick art paper.  We used this paper and had great results.

Arrange the paint so all your artists can reach the various colors and get ready to see their creativity.

Mud paint is irresistible for those that like to finger paint.

It also works well with paint brushes for more detailed paintings.

As you know, mud crumbles when it dries.  The painting won’t last forever.

If you want to preserve the painting you can spray it with a spray sealant like we did.  Just let the painting dry flat and once it is dry spray an even coating across the top.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we started our mud painting.  But I absolutely loved how they all turned out!

If you are looking for a fun outdoor art activity for a variety of ages, mud painting is one they will remember for a long time. 

You may also like these kids painting activities:

• Salt Painting
• Puddle Painting
• Squirt Gun Painting 
• Cotton Swab Painted Fall Trees 
• Crayon-Resist April Showers Painting 

Originally published July 10, 2018.

The post Mud Painting: Messy Art Kids Love first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

And when it comes to messy art, splat painting is fun and takes almost no prep.   This spring try puddle painting for another low prep idea that’s perfect for a rainy day.

Cotton Ball Splat Painting

Materials Needed:

• Cotton Balls
• Acrylic Paint
• White Craft Paper
• Craft Stick Catapult (optional)

Splat painting is a process art activity for kids.  It’s all about exploring while having fun and being creative.

With that in mind, we came up with two different ways to do splat painting with cotton balls.  The first idea involves using craft stick catapults to paint.

Want to make your own catapults?  Follow these directions.  We opted to hot glue a plastic lid to our top craft stick instead of using the plastic spoon for these catapults, but a spoon would work too.

Catapult Splat Painting

To minimize paint spills and make things easier for the kids, pour a small amount of each color paint into the cups of an empty egg carton.

Dip one half of your cotton ball in paint and set it on the catapult, paint side up.

Then comes the fun part.  Pull the catapult back and let that cotton ball fly!

Painting with a catapult involves some experimenting.   If it isn’t very windy you can try placing the paper on the ground in front of the catapult.   A few small rocks can help hold the paper in place if needed.

Your child may need to move the catapult back and forth to find the optimal position for hitting the paper with the paint balls.

You can also try taping your art paper up on a surface that you aren’t worried about getting paint on or using a small paint easel.    Be ready for a bit of messy experimenting as those painted cotton balls fly!

Cotton Ball Toss Painting

Want to skip the catapults?

Another fun variation for this messy art activity is to just toss the paint covered cotton balls.

This is perfect for younger children.  They will love seeing the colorful results as they toss the cotton balls.

If you have larger sheets of paper you can challenge your child to try tossing the cotton balls from varying distances.   How far away can they get and still hit the paper?

Be warned, this is one activity the kids may ask to do over and over.

Splat painting is a fun and messy outside art activity that is perfect for a variety of ages.  

More Splat Painting Ideas

• Try dropping the cotton balls onto paper while standing on a chair.
• Use a water balloon slingshot to shoot the cotton balls at the paper.
• Use a small wood mallet or toy hammer to help splat the paint.  (The Artful Parent)
• Try splat painting with tea bags. (Messy Little Monster)

You may also enjoy these posts:

• Painting with Toy Trucks — Process Art
• Painting with Squirt Guns
• Colorful and Unique Weaving Activities for Kids 
  

Get more fun ideas like this delivered to your email by subscribing to our newsletter. 

The post Cotton Ball Splat Painting first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.