open-ended art activities Archives

If you know me well, you know that one of the many things I would LOVE to do one day is facilitate sensory-rich art and play classes for little ones and their parents or caregivers. It’s been a dream of mine ever since Miss G was four months old and she and I attended Kindermusik classes in a fellow expat mama’s home during our first stint in Kuwait… I just loved that the instructor was creating this awesome little community of expat mamas while doing something she loved and getting to stay home with her kiddos all at once – a dream come true, really.

I was lucky enough to get a little taste of facilitating sensory and art classes when I taught at a creative play and learning centre during our second stint in Kuwait, but what I’d really love is to have a gorgeous little studio in the backyard {I’m picturing bright white walls and loads of light pouring in through big windows} dedicated to bringing parents and their littles together through playing and creating. As much as it would be a space for parents to connect with their kids, it would be a space for parents to connect and form friendships too… There would be time for free play, books woven into our time together, and the projects would be as sensory-rich and open-ended as possible. Ugh – doesn’t it sound amazing?? {ONE DAY!!}

Until then, I’ll enjoy all of the fun play and art projects with my own kiddos and since the weather recently perked up in the Okanagan, Sam and I have been doing just that!

Below are 5 open-ended, sensory-rich art activities that he’s absolutely loved recently… In all of these, we used one or more products from Crayola’s ‘My First Crayola’ line aimed at meeting little ones in the early stages of their development. The art tools are sorted by stages rather than ages, which I love because as we all know, all kids develop and progress differently. The 3 stages are:

1) Scribble – for kiddos making their first random marks

2) Doodle – for little ones who can repeat different types of lines

3) Draw – for kids who can draw shapes and basic pictures

Now while I’d say that Sam is pretty much in Stage 2: Doodle at the moment, there are definitely Stage 1 tools he still loves using and there are even a couple of Stage 3 products he’s able to use independently. In the end, you know your child best, so go with what works for them!

This post is sponsored by My First Crayola. I’ve been a Crayola fan for pretty much my entire life… {tell me – was there anything better than opening a brand new jumbo box of crayons with the sharpener built into the back as a child?! Nope. There really wasn’t.} as always, all of the opinions in this post are my own.

Alright, ready?? Here are 5 super fun, open-ended, sensory-rich art activities to try with your little one…

Rip & Stick Sticky Collage

The materials:

Crayola construction paper {we used full-sized sheets from the huge pad we always keep on hand as well as half sheets from the Preschool Readiness Kit simply because the colours are so beautiful}
clear contact paper
clear tape
Crayola safety scissors {from their stage 3 line} optional

The set-up:

Cut out several construction paper frames, adhere them onto a large roll of clear contact paper, and then cut away the extra contact paper. Hang the frames up onto a wall or window sticky side out and include a little basket or tray of small construction paper squares and the safety scissors {if including them} nearby.

The process:

Invite your little one to rip {and or cut} the construction paper squares into small bits. Sam’s not quite ready for scissors just yet, but he was very interested in them and gave them a go. Ultimately, we went back to ripping because it’s more appropriate for his current abilities and he loved it! While it can come off as simply destructive, ripping paper actually provides a great fine motor skill workout and provides both auditory and tactile feedback – win-win!

With the paper bits ready to go, invite your little one to stick the bits up onto the frames. The contact paper is a great way for little ones to explore the concept of sticky and makes creating collage-style art a breeze.

Another perk? A contact paper collage means no glue necessary, so this is virtually a mess-free activity.

The finished project:

Isn’t this beautiful with the sunshine streaming through the window? I especially love this project because it can be left up for days and added to when the mood strikes.

No Paint Watercolour Painting

The materials:

a large piece of watercolour paper
wide painter’s tape
Crayola Washable Tripod Grip Markers {these are the best – no rolling and a short, rounded tip that can even stand up to our Sam-nado}
Crayola Washable Tripod Grip Stampers
Crayola Jumbo Paintbrushes
Crayola Round Paint Brushes {this is my very favourite set of kids’ paintbrushes}
a jar of water

The set-up:

Using painter’s tape, secure the watercolour paper to a flat, easily washable surface. This will not only keep it in place as your little one creates, but will also leave a beautiful white border around the edge of the piece that will make the finished project pop and look super polished. Remove the caps from the tripod markers and stampers and place them in a tray for easy use and prepare a jar with some water and the paintbrushes in it for a little later on.

The process:

Invite your little one over to draw and stamp on the large piece of watercolour paper.

The more colour the better in this case, so it’s perfect that the little shape stampers we used basically beg to be coloured in. {Just look at that concentration, will you?!}

This is also the perfect time to experiment with different types of lines… Slow ones, fast ones, straight ones, wavy ones, crazy ones – anything goes!

Alright, now for the magic! Once your little one is done colouring and drawing, tuck the markers and stampers away and bring out the water and paintbrushes.

Invite your little one to paint their picture with water and watch as they observe with wonder.

When the painting process is complete, leave the piece to dry. Later on, gently remove the painter’s tape to reveal white border.

The end result:

Stunning, isn’t it?

Upside Down Drawing

The materials:

a piece of bristol board
painter’s tape or masking tape
Crayola Washable Palm Grasp Crayons {these were Sam’s very first crayons and I recommend them all the time}
Crayola Washable Tripod Grip Crayons
a low table

The set-up:

Using masking tape or painter’s tape, secure a piece of bristol board to the underneath side of a low table {coffee tables and kid-sized tables are perfect for this}. Trim the bristol board first if needed. Set out a variety of crayons in a tray or basket under the table.

The process:

Invite your little one to draw upside down! Sam totally got a kick out of this.

While this may seem like such a simple activity, the upside down element really brings a sense of excitement to the project and requires some gross motor planning that just isn’t required when drawing or colouring in the usual manner.

Depending on your little one’s interests and abilities, he or she may experiment with different kinds of lines and formations like Sam, or he or she may compose more of a traditional picture – both of which are great. There’s no right or wrong here and the activity can be left out and added to for as long as you like.

The end result:

This is what I found under our coffee table a few days ago after more than a week of adding to it. Obviously Miss G jumped in on the fun at least once and fun was had. It may look like nothing more than scribbles, but the purpose with open-ended art is the process of course.

Foamy Painting

The materials:

a large tray with a raised edge {even a baking sheet will do}
watercolour paper
water
Crayola Fingerpaint {this stuff is super washable – even after sitting on our easily stained white table for 45+ minutes}
dishsoap
cornstarch
a blender
a paint tray of some sort
Crayola Jumbo Paintbrushes

The recipe:

1/4 cup of water
2 to 3 tablespoons of fingerpaint
1 tablespoon of dish soap {while natural formulas will work, the foam made by a traditional formula seems to last longer}
1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Simply place everything into a blender and blend on high for approximately 30 – 45 seconds. Repeat for each colour, working quickly as the foamy bubbles do disappear over time.

The set-up:

Trim your watercolour paper so that it will fit on your tray or baking sheet. Whip up foamy paint, place it into a tray of some sort, and set it out with Crayola’s Jumbo Paintbrushes {I love the sensorial element these add to painting projects}.

The process:

Invite your little one to create a masterpiece using the foamy paints you made. I tend not to give Sam any instructions with projects like this one… The more open-ended the better.

Although the foamy paint will thin out with time, the beauty of pairing it with these Crayola Jumbo Paintbrushes is that their sponge-like textures totally have the ability to reactivate the bubbles. Sam discovered this on his own as I sat back and observed and he was so pleased with himself.

Allow your little one to explore the paints with his or her hands too if desired! This is as much a sensory play activity as it is an art activity and this homemade paint is super washable, so nothing to worry about there.

When done, carefully remove your little one’s piece from the work tray leaving all of the bubbly foam in place and set it somewhere to dry. If you have something that will allow it to get some airflow on the bottom too, even better! {The cooling trays you use while baking are amazing for this purpose.}

The end result:

How unique is this finished texture?! It almost reminds me of the moon’s surface.

Bubble Wrap Stomp

The materials:

bristol board
painter’s tape
Crayola Fingerpaint {I like mixing ours with some white Crayola Washable Kids’ Paint just to mute the colours a wee bit}
a paint tray
Crayola Round Paintbrushes and/or Flat Paintbrushes
bubblewrap
a drop cloth of some sort

The set-up:

Set your drop cloth out and secure the bristol board to it using the white border method. Place your paints into a paint tray of some sort and designate one paintbrush per colour. Trim a piece of bubble wrap so it’s the size of your bristol board or smaller.

The process:

Invite your little one to paint on the more textured side of the bubblewrap. For this project, you may want to encourage him or her to be generous with the paint as it tends to turn out better when a good amount is used.

Next, flip the bubble wrap over onto the bristol board canvas and invite your little one to {carefully} walk, dance or stomp on top of it. You want the bubble wrap to stay as flat and still as possible, so if you can hold down the edges while your little one dances and stomps, I’d recommend it.

You may also want to put on some tunes for this step – I mean, what doesn’t a little ‘Baby Shark’ make better??

Carefully lift the bubble wrap and invite your little one to do some more painting on it.

Then repeat the walking / dancing / stomping process again and again until the bristol board is covered in layers of textured, bubbly-looking paint.

And if all that stomping and dancing tires your little one out, why not let them have a little lay down on their artwork, right? {HAHA!}

The end result:

Beautiful, right? I love how the colours gently blend together in some spots while the individual bubbles are quite evident in others.

Well, that’s it. Five super open-ended art activities for little ones that are all about experiencing the process rather than creating something with a specific finished product in mind.

What do you think… Would your little one enjoy any of these?

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Come August we will have been in our new house for a year, and though we’ve definitely ‘settled in’, our house is still a little stark. We still have a few key pieces to purchase, but the biggest part of part of it? There’s really nothing on the walls. I figure it will eventually come together and while I have a few different ideas for this tall bare wall on our landing {instagram wall? low profile book case?}, in the meantime we’ve been using it for all kinds of vertical projects and play. This giant sticky collage was a total hit with both kids {and that’s no small feat when they’re 5 and a half years apart!} and was added to each day for about a week and a half.

{this post contains affiliate links}

The best part is that so long as you have these three items – contact paper {CAN}, wide painter’s tape {CAN}, and scissors – you can pretty much make this project happen with random loose items from around the house. No need to buy anything new!

Now a word on contact paper… You can find this stuff at office supply shops, but many dollar stores carry it too. lt’s usually in the kitchen aisle with the other drawer liners and no slip grip rolls. For this project, we used two full rolls of the clear contact paper that Dollar Tree stocks.

Alright, so here’s the trickiest part of this activity… Getting the contact paper {CAN} up onto the wall. Not going to lie – it can be a bit frustrating at first. We’ve been doing contact paper activities since Miss G was wee and I kind of have my method down now, thankfully.

First off – don’t attempt this while you have little ones who desperately want to get to the playing part of the activity around. Still, even now, I put our contact paper up during nap time or at night when Sam is in bed. It’s just easier that way.

Second – roll your length of contact paper out on a table and fold back just a couple of inches of the paper backing along the length that you’re going to tape. This will reveal the sticky side {which of course you’re going to want facing outwards on your wall}.

Third – while still at the table, run a length of painter’s tape along that edge, adhering half of the tape’s width to the contact paper and leaving the other half to adhere to your wall.

Fourth – stick the contact paper up onto the wall, keeping it as straight and flat as possible and then gently peel off the paper backing.

Now if you’re going to do a GIANT sticky collage wall using two strips of contact paper like we did, prep the second strip of contact paper the same way – the only difference is that the taped edge is going to be the bottom side of the collage wall. Then, holding the non-taped edge of the contact paper strip {paper backing still on of course}, place it onto the first piece of contact paper so they’re overlapped a couple of inches. I sort of pat it into place to make sure they’re stuck together well before gently tugging downwards and adhering that bottom strip of tape onto the wall. The goal is to have it as flat as possible, I never seem to get mine *perfectly* flat and it really doesn’t matter.

Last step – add painter’s tape {CAN} along each vertical side to complete your sticky canvas.

Now for the fun part… Collecting your loose parts! Basically anything goes here – no need to buy anything new unless you truly have a house free of any little junky bits / craft supplies. Most all of our stuff comes from our craft drawers, but also look in your junk drawer. Things like bits of string, twist ties, bread ties, and scraps of packaging work well! You can also cut pictures out of your weekly flyers – they’re basically like stickers when paired with a sticky collage wall and bonus: get the kiddos to cut out their favourites for some added scissor practice!

Here’s what I originally set out with our giant sticky collage:

coloured wooden matchsticks {CAN}
craft feathers {CAN}
flower acrylic gems {CAN}
googly eyes {CAN}
pompoms (these tend to stick for a short while and then fall off) {CAN}
sequins {CAN}

But again, go with whatever you have on hand.

Then with the giant sticky collage wall set up and the loose parts collected, I left it for Sam to discover after his nap. {Of course there’s really no missing something of this size!}

He stuck up a couple of little parts {talk about an awesome fine motor skill workout} and was pleased as punch about the whole thing.

We had to run off to grab Miss G from school {yup, with Sam in robot jammies}, but as soon as we returned home, it was back to the sticky wall.

He was soooo excited to show his big sis!

What I love about open-ended invitations like this one is that kids always seem to add their own spin on them given some time and space. And honestly, most of the time their ideas are better than mine! After Sam had lost interest and moved onto something else, Miss G asked to bring out our giant ball of multi-coloured yarn and I just think it was such a neat idea.

Now here’s my secret to making the interest for invitations to play or create like this one last as long as possible… Add a few new things each day or two! So in this case, I’d make sure the landing was tidy (I’ve totally noticed that my kids don’t gravitate to spaces that are scattered and a mess), then I’d add a few new things into the loose parts tray to keep interest high.

Over the course of the week, I added: