Do the words painting and toddler in the same sentence make you shudder? They don’t have to. With a couple precautions, a painting project with your toddler can be easy, fun, and not too messy. If you don’t believe me, keep reading about how to paint with a toddler. If you have a baby, check out how to paint with them as well.
It’s funny to look back at how your parenting philosophy has changed as you have become a more seasoned parent. When my daughter turned one, she got a pop up princess tent for her birthday. It was labeled for age 3+ so I spent a lot of time googling if it was ok. I finally decided that we could use it as long as my husband or I was in there with her at all times. It ended up being one of her favorite toys and she still hasn’t turned 3.
Fast forward one year and for her second birthday she received a garden stone mosaic to paint that was for 6+. This time, without a second thought or a Google search, we painted it anyways. She absolutely loved it and there was no reason it wasn’t age appropriate. This is what gave me the confidence to continue painting with her.
You can paint anything that you want with your toddler, but we painted a prize box. My daughter has a space themed sticker chart (get free printable here) and when she completes a planet, rocket, or constellation she gets a prize. I wanted to jazz up the cardboard box the prizes are in by letting her paint it.
How to Paint a Prize Box With Your Toddler
Supplies:
- Cardboard box (or whatever your toddler is painting)
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Small cup filled with water
- Paper towel
- Plastic tablecloth (optional)
- Paint clothes (optional)
Setup:
I didn’t want to spend the whole time worried about my daughter making a mess so I took a few precautions. First, I put down a cheap plastic tablecloth that I bought at the Dollar Tree. She is 2 1/2 and knows better than to throw her paintbrush, but if she had been a little younger I would have put one on the floor as well. Then I changed her clothes into her reserved paint clothes. If you don’t already have some, I would suggest getting something cheap at a nearby thrift store.
Create:
Now that my toddler’s creative juices (and maybe some paint) could flow without the concern of a mess, we entered a painting loop. She told me what color she wanted, I opened it, she painted a few spots, one of us closed that color paint, she rinsed her paint brush in the water, and she wiped it off on the paper towel. Every once in a while, I would remind her that she could paint other sides of her box, get her new water, or get her a new paper towel.
Even though she was going through the motions of cleaning her paintbrush between colors, they weren’t thoroughly cleaned and paint colors did mix. She didn’t care and since they were her paints I didn’t care either. She spilled the water once, but besides that it was smooth sailing.
After she decided she was done, the only clean up we had to do was wash her hands, change her clothes, and fold up the tablecloth once it was dry. She had a lot of fun painting and would happily do it every day if I let her.
Once the box was dry, I put her prizes in it. Now whenever she earns a prize, she gets to see her hard work.
I hope this gives you the confidence to try a painting project with your own toddler. Enjoy painting!
