Top 3 Mess-Free Art Experiences (From a Messy Mom & Artist)

You've probably had it happen whether you work with kids, live with kids, or babysit from time-to-time. One minute things are quiet, you're getting something done, and then you realize that things are a little suspiciously quiet. You turn around and to your horror you find the little human tornadoes have managed to completely decimate the room thanks to some glue, a little determination, and a cloud of fine purple glitter you swore you donated last week.

From a developmental standpoint, being messy while creating is ABSOLUTELY normal. It's age-appropriate. Itty bitty fingers can't quite grasp small brushes, finger dexeterity means that opening those lids can have some messy concequences, and lets face it, squishing your fingers in paint just feels good sometimes.

But that doesn't mean that every child (or adult for that matter) likes to be messy. Sensory processing disorders, tactile fears, and personal preferences can mean that messy play might be something you or your little would want to avoid.

After having my son, who has no qualms about diving face first in to a mud puddle or spinning his hands over a table of finger paint, it threw me a bit when I realized my daughter had a preference to avoid the messy play options and would rather keep her hands clean. Through trial and error I've found these activties to be some of her favourites and I hope you and your littles like them, too!

Here are my top 3 picks for mess-free art exploration for kids:

1. Bagged Art

What You'll Need:

• Large ziploc bags (or clear garbage bags will do in a pinch)

• Crafter Acrylics. I like these ones. I find the neon can be over stimulating for younger artists and if you only use the primary colours (blue, red, yellow) you can encourage a lot of blending which is always really fun to watch!

• Canvas or canvas board. I find canvas board to be a bit easier for this kind of exploration.

• Tape - if your little is 0-20 months (because they are likely to try and throw it). You can tape the bag to any flat surface including the floor.

• Optional: glitter!

How To Set Up:

When setting up this activity with my daughter, I put out the crafter acrylics and let her choose her own colours. This is a great experience for littles who are learning the rainbow. Try using phrasing such as "this paint is yellow." Identifying the object before the colour is less confusing for little learners.

If your little is anything like mine, they'll likely want to pull out a LOT of colours. I gave my daughter some time to pull from the selection before we narrowed down her choices. If your little one chose several colours then offer the light and dark versions and have them choose one. Having 3-6 colours for this project is a great starting point. You can always add more colours later.

Get Started:

When your little artist is ready to go, close half the seal, press the sides of the bag to push out the excess air, and close the bag completely. (Make sure it's actually closed. Mistakes were made and we had a very messy first run.)

Let your child explore! They can press the paint with their hands, give high fives, turn the bag upside down - however they want to explore! You can also add things like paint brushes, qtips, or cars so the children can create some really unique designs!

When you're done - it'll likely be very messy so I'd recommend having your little stay off to the side before you open the bag. Lift the canvas from underneath and set it on a table out of reach of little fingers. My daughter LOVED looking at her creation, so we obviously needed to do lots of "up hugs" to look at it while it dried.

What To Do Next:

Once the painting has dried, you can add another layer of paint to the picture with brushes, add your child's name for bedroom art, or draw their silhouette for a keepsake that is truly unique. Bonus activity: Use the excess paint in the bag as a fun tactile experience or to practice writing letters with their finger or a qtip!

2. Tissue Paper Suncatchers

What You'll Need:

• Transparent self-adhesive vinyl paper

• Tissue Paper cut in to pieces

• Hole Punch (or pencil to poke a hole)

• Scissors

• String/Ribbon/Pipe Cleaner

How To Set Up:

You'll need two pieces of clear vinyl cut to the same size. I used 8X8 pieces so there was lots of space to get colourful but wasn't too intimidating for the little creatives.

Peel the backing to one of the pieces and lay it sticky-side up.

Set up on a clean table (a coffee table or the floor will also work).

Display the tissue paper in a way that is accessible and inviting. I prefer to mix the coloured pieces so the children (and my daughter) don't feel they need to keep the colours separated.

Get Started:

The process of this type of creation may be intimidating to some creatives who have never played with this material. Paper isn't supposed to be sticky!!!

Exposure to new art materials is a great way to explore the world. You can encourage your child to touch the vinyl, the tissue paper, maybe hold the tissue paper to the light and look through it. If your little needs more encouragement, you can show how to stick the tissue paper to the vinyl, however after the initial piece I would recommend letting your child take the lead. I've done this activity with a lot of children and it's fasinating to see how some children think. Some bunch their colours together. Some create intricate designs. Some (like my kiddos) like to throw the colours to the vinyl and see what sticks - and that is TOTALLY okay!

So there might be a little mess, but it can be easily swept up!

What To Do Next:

When the initial exploration is done, peel the backing from the second paper, line it with the first, and cover the tissue paper sticky-side down (essentially laminating it).

If you and your little have talked shapes at all, I would recommend asking their opinion on a shape to turn their art in to. For older kiddos they can try safety scissors to cut the design themselves (if you're comfortable with it) or you can do it. Add a hole punch to the top and string the ribbon/pipe cleaner/string through and create a knot.

Bonus activity: Add extra colour with some markers!

3. Good Ol' Mess-Free Crayola

What You'll Need:

• Paper (any kind will do. My kiddos use regular printer paper.)

• Paint brushes (I find the small square and round ones to be the best given the paint cup size.

• Napkins

• Spill-Proof Washable Crayola paint or you can get the full less-mess kit here

How To Set Up:

I love this activity because there isn't a lot of set up required. Paper on the table, roll the sleeves, pop the lids, and get creative! There are 5 jars in the pack: red, yellow, blue, green, and orange (don't get me started on why purple always gets looked over).

Get Started:

This is a process activity. For something like this, it's always a great idea to ask your child to explain what they're creating even when it's a super obvious rainbow. "Tell me about your work!" Is a wonderful door that will not only open an important level of communication between you and your child, it opens the door for your child's creativity.

Yes, they started with a rainbow, but now it needs clouds. And maybe rain? And maybe now there is a duck under the clouds looking at the rainbow? (This happened when my son was exploring the paint a few weeks back.) I continued asking him to tell me about his painting and his creativity got away on him which was beautiful to see.

Now - if your kiddos is a tactile explorer you may notice they're sticking their fingers or paint brushes in to the paint pots. Don't worry! It'll still be spill proof! It's also washable to easily cleaned. I do recommend filling the holes before putting the lids back on. Use a brush or your finger to refill the holes so it's fresh for the next time you use it.

What To Do Next:

This paint dries well and vibrantly. They make great cards and wall art! Have your child tell a little story (if they're verbal) and write out the story together for a fun little keepsake!. Bonus activity: These are REALLY fun to use on the transparent vinyl (non-sticky side) and look beautiful in the light of the window. Some other fun materials in the studio this month:

• Paint sticks! There are a bunch of varieties. Both adults and kids love them!

• For the adults & older kids: the Ohuhu markers

I hope these activities help you and your littles in your art exploration! Remember to stay colourful and be as creative as you'd like, Rae

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Dragonfly Art Studio Guelph, ON Be inspired. Get creative.

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(full disclosure - some links here may mean I earn a small commission (at no fee to you). It does, however, help keep the blog going.)