5 Fantastic Outdoor Art Projects!

These easy art projects are sure to keep the creativity flowing all summer

It’s a fact: Art, especially with kids, is messy. But the warmth of summer gives us the opportunity to get outside, get a little dirty, and still get in a ton of creative, art-fueled play without all the stress of trying to get paint out of the carpet. So grab the kids, head outside, and let them go crazy with making art in the sunshine – just have the hose ready!

1. Bubble Painting

Materials

  • Bubble mix
  • Bubble wands
  • Food coloring or liquid watercolors
  • Paper

Instructions

  1. Pour 1 tablespoon of bubble mix into a small, shallow bowl.
  2. Add a few drops of food coloring to the bubble mix and stir well.
  3. Place your bubble wand in the colored bubble mix, remove and blow bubbles towards your paper.
  4. As the bubbles hit the paper and pop, they will leave interesting patterns. Repeat with other colors.

Tip: This activity can be frustrating on a windy day – choose a breeze-free spot outdoors to make it easier!

2. ‘Exploding’ Sidewalk Chalk

While exploding chalk bags are always cool, playing in the  aftermath is pretty awesome, too.
While exploding chalk bags are always cool, playing in the aftermath is pretty awesome, too.

Materials

  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • Food coloring
  • 12 tsp. baking soda
  • Ziploc bags

Instructions

  1. Mix the cornstarch and vinegar together. 
  2. Quickly divide the mixture into four Ziploc bags
  3. Add food coloring to each bag (8-10 drops).
  4. Partially seal the bag, leaving just enough space to add the baking soda. Quickly seal the bag, swish it around to dissolve the soda, and then lay it down on the sidewalk. Wait for it to POP!

Tip: Once the bags have popped, kids can have fun painting with the mix still inside the bag, or swirling the “splatter” with brushes.

3. Tree Face Sculpting

Materials

  • Clay-heavy mud or air-dry natural clay (make it as benign to the environment as possible)

Natural Embellishments

  • Leaves
  • Moss
  • Small sticks
  • Stones
  • Acorns
  • An easily accessible tree

Instructions

  1. To create the “face,” press your clay into the bark and smooth out edges. This is a good time to shape any features you’d like as well.
  2. Use your natural embellishments (leaves, stones, etc.) to add character to the face

Tip: While these may hang on for a while depending on location and weather, these probably won’t be long-term decorations, so take lots of pictures!

4. Resist Painting

Materials

  • Large canvas
  • Painter’s tape
  • Paint (if you’re planning on displaying, using acrylic paints will help it last longer, but other washable paints can be used as well)
  • Brushes

Instructions

  1. Layout a pattern on the canvas with painter’s tape. You can do a standard grid, wild lines that start and stop wherever you like, or simple stripes. 
  2. Let the kids go wild with the paint on the canvas. They can experiment with splattering the paint, using different brushes to create unique results, or squeezing it directly onto the canvas.
  3. Once the paint is dry, carefully peel off the tape.

5. Oversized Marble Painting

Materials

  • Butcher paper
  • Plastic kiddie pool
  • Balls of various sizes (golf ball, basketball, etc.)
  • Paint (tempera is washable, but you can use other paints as well)

Instructions

  1. Tape a large sheet of butcher paper to the bottom of the kiddie pool.
  2. Dip each ball in a different paint color and toss into the pool.
  3. Let the kids experiment with lifting and spinning the kiddie pool to force the balls to roll around inside.

Tip: You can also use toys with wheels to create unique tracks on the paper in place of the balls.